Was someone looking for still life inspiration with real life crown jewels for this month’s topic?
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Sorry, not sure I’m the one going overboard. However, since its your challenge, I will happily leave you to it.
Oh please do the challenge, @relink. Each month’s topic puts a framework around the real purpose of the challenge which is draw something we never drew before or try a technique we’re not good at.
Mine is going to be terrible, I’m sure, as I haven’t even started it yet but it will give me a different kind of drawing experience.
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Even if I tend to agree with @Mariusz_Galaj on why you’d be a bit off-topic, I still think you should post it if you want to express your take on the matter. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? People not voting for your entry in the end? This happens to most of us all the time anyway! 
After all, the goal of those challenges is to boost creativity and the important thing is how much fun you take from it. 
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Corentin, thank you for your comment. I wasn’t sure about my entry in the first place, which was why I was asking for outside opinions. I am not in disagreement with the specifics being set, this was just my interpretation of them. However, I think my entry is not right for this particular challenge. It is particularly objectionable to mariusz_galaj, who’s reaction was a near full page denial, where a simpler yes or no would have sufficed. I think the best course will be to hold it for a possible future time where it might be a better fit.
Thank you for your comment, and your openness.
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In my opinion, your idea is absolutely fine. And where it will end up ranking is up to the users to decide.
Michelist
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I have received a few comments regarding my entry, which have caused me to reconsider my decision about posting. I will post after all. I want to thank everyone for their comments and encouragement. It is quite lifting for me. Thank you.
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I’m not opposed to it. Trust me, there’s not a single person who wants as many people as possible to participate in this challenge as much as I do. The fewer people who participate, the worse it reflects on me. But it was my duty as the previous winner to establish the theme for the next challenge and help steer those discussing it towards it. By discouraging anyone from participating, I’m acting against my own best interests.
When I saw your proposal for entry, I replied that human blood is quite controversial (I don’t think anyone would disagree). I suggested sticking to something simpler, like the silhouette of a cross.
As a sign of good will I have another suggestion; If you don’t intend to change anything about what you’ve planned, simply add in the description that your painting is to be hung in the office of every US president or whoever, to remind that power have consequences, and that’s enough for me.
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This month has seen a ton of very in-depth commentary on entries. It has been very cool to see how involved @Mariusz_Galaj has been with everyone’s submissions! This has certainly added a different dimension to this month’s Challenge! 
With this level of interest in the contest, I’ve decided to take the month and focus on creating a top-notch set of entries. I’m treating them as if they were being shown at a gallery exhibition with the theme “Burden of Power”.
When we started this journey, @Mariusz_Galaj said of this challenge, “…it offers more freedom than any of the ones imposed this year.” I’ve taken that to heart and provided my neurodivergent insights and vision to bring ‘The Burden of Power’ to life. And as I look back at what I’ve created, I feel perhaps I’ve focused on the mental burden and the impact it would have over the purely physical embodiment of the burden. Who knew I was going to go all heady?
After thinking long and hard about how, when, and even if to post these this month, I’m going to post my detailed discussion/thoughts here and only give a title and perhaps a line of commentary on the main contest page.
By this I mean, I believe art is most powerful when left up to the observer to assign meaning to my creations so they can bring their own life experiences, views of the world, and their feelings to bear as they aspire to assign meaning and perhaps judgment around the pieces I’ve created. The main contest page will be how I’d want the following to be displayed. And as if this were at a gallery in London, I would not be around to answer for my work. Attendees will be left with their own pondering without my input as they view the exhibition.
For this month’s challenge, I have created three pieces of art in which I endeavored to capture the beauty and absurdness revolving around the weight and responsibility of being in power and perhaps the uncomfortable physical items used to display this power. This is how I interpreted all the ‘rules’ and, to some extent, the clarifications and revisions to them throughout the month.
The images below are how I choose to personify ‘The Burden of Power’ and this month’s challenge.
Imagine each image below is displayed on a stark white wall, each with its own simple egg shell-white card next to it with the following text in a jet-black Helvetica font.
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“Burden of the Powerful in a Clown Alley”
To be a leader of the Clowns, the Gerbera Daisy is the must-wear accessory.
Heavy is the head that wears The Daisy.
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(This is not on the card, but I realize this may require a bit more explanation for this forum)
I don’t believe this needs much explanation, but here we go. Yes, even clowns can be in positions of power. This image is meant to show the absurdity of using an object to denote power and to ridicule those who use physical items as status symbols. Or… maybe it depicts powerful leaders as blissfully ignorant and so unaware of the world at large that a daisy is seen as a Burden of Power. Or… is this image meant to show that with simple things like a smile and a big flower the Powerful can overcome their burden and can bring joy and amusement to everyone they come into contact with? Or maybe, the use of a once living flower as an object d’power shows the fragility of power itself and power’s ephemeral status? Deep, huh?
What does it say to you?
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“The Burden of Treachery of an Egg Baby: This is not an egg.”
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(This is not on the card, but I realize this may require a bit more explanation for this forum)
This piece has its roots in the 1929 painting “This is not a Pipe” by Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. I’ve heard is now hanging in New York’s MoMA, but I have not been there personally to verify this. You can find volumes written about this piece’s meaning and importance.
The Egg Baby challenge was the inspiration for this object representing the burden of leadership. If you’re not familiar with the egg baby exercise, there are dozens of versions of how it works across the internet. Here is a link to something I found online with some basic info:
When I first did this exercise, it was for a few days and we used a raw egg. I guess the third-graders have it easy!
Imagine if every leader cared for their charges and responsibilities as if they were as important as their own children and as fragile as the eggs they had to wear.
Font used is © free for projects like this: Daniel Font | dafont.com
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“The Burden of Power = W / T”
Leadership meets the universal.
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(This is not on the card, but I realize this may require a bit more explanation for this forum)
This piece shows the definition of Power, as a physicist would define it, before a non-existent version of an 80K USD watch.
Perhaps this image depicts how immense the weight of responsibility to live up to the value and beauty of this piece would be. Or perhaps, the image says that the burden of power, like the watch face and wristband, is just simplistic and should not be overly complicated. Or perhaps it says that the burden of power could be lessened or offset with a personal display that is whimsical and hopeful. Or maybe the important message is the text which provides a grounding and stabilizing facet making the statement that everything must start with the basic truths of our universe and then elevating time as the heaviest burden/element by presenting it literally using a watch.
Imagine if every leader truly understood that achieving the outcomes most desired by their people depends on actions rooted in reality. Leaders must ensure that their decisions and initiatives are not abstract or disconnected, but carefully considered and practical. It is equally essential for leaders to recognize that the effects of their choices ripple throughout the entire population. Every action taken, no matter how minute, influences the lives of those they serve. By maintaining a balance between realistic goals and an awareness of widespread impact, leaders can foster results that genuinely reflect the needs and aspirations of their communities.
What does it say to you?
Font used is © free for projects like this: Font: Coolvetica Font | dafont.com
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Thanks for actually reading everything thus far! I hope everyone had as much fun playing around with the “Burden of Power” this month as I have! I could have waxed poetically and pretentiously with far more insights, Deep Thoughts, AI re-writes, and other views of these pieces for quite some time. But I’ll call it FIN for this month right here. You’re welcome.
Everyone who sees my images will have a different reaction to the images I’ve posted, and I expect them to range all the way from “Wow! That’s really cool!” to “Well, he didn’t adhere to the challenge exactly as written” to “Geesh. Those images all suck eggs.” And each one of these responses and everything in between would be valid and appreciated.
Except for the sucking eggs bit.
That would not be appreciated.
Not at all.
A final thought…
I hope that my “exhibition” this month has demonstrated that there are so many different ways to see the world through the same art piece… or challenge topic. I agree with what many have said, a big goal in this form for me is to be inclusive, celebrate everyone’s efforts, and to promote Krita, as it’s such an amazing free graphics program, through both the final pieces and the process to create them!
My belief is that while a topic may provide guardrails and direction, it should not be used to stifle creativity. I’m reminded of the immortal words of Sergeant Hulka, played by Warren Oates, in the 1981 movie Stripes, “Lighten up, Francis”.
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Quite cool, @steve.improvthis.
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This is what I’m working on. It’s an image that has to be hung in the leaders office and home as a reminder that if they enter public office they will always be on stage and in the limelight.
It’s still a WIP.
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Steve, I believe you have stated clearly what I’ve come to realize over the past few days, that others feel as well regarding the monthly contest, art, interpretation and personal expression. Thank you for voicing your thoughts.
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If I can advice something; make space behind the lamp darker. That will make its light stand out more.
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Thanks, I’ll do that.