Category: art

Solarpunk Ireland, Druids, Celts – Art and Worldbuilding Ideas

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This is a collection of digital art that captures the vision of a solarpunk Ireland, along with images of a futuristic world inspired by the ancient Celts.

Back in May of this year, I visited Dublin, along with Western Ireland, where my ancestors are from, and took hundreds of photos of sweeping Irish landscapes, cobblestone houses in the countryside, churchs, ruins, castles, and Irish towns, such as Galway and Cork. In this collection of digital art, I used my photos of Ireland and enhanced them with Dream Studio, an AI art device. The collection below represents my experiment of enhancing pre-existing art with AI.

Solarpunk Ireland

Solarpunk is a literary and artistic movement that envisions and works toward actualizing a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. The artistic genre uses the Art Nouveau style. The aesthetic also makes heavy use of bright colors and is often inspired by Studio Ghibli movies, particularly Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Worldbuilding a Solarpunk Ireland

In a solarpunk, futuristic Ireland, the landscape is a harmonious blend of advanced technology and natural beauty, showcasing a society that has embraced renewable energy and sustainable practices. Solar panels are seamlessly integrated into the rooftops of homes and public buildings, capturing the sun’s energy even on overcast days. Wind turbines, gracefully turning along the windy coastline, provide a substantial portion of the country’s electricity, while wave and tidal energy converters harness the power of the Atlantic Ocean. Urban areas are designed with green roofs and vertical gardens, transforming cities into lush, living ecosystems that produce food and filter the air.

Agriculture in Ireland thrives on principles of permaculture and regenerative farming. Fertile fields and pastures, nurtured by Ireland’s abundant cattle, sheep, and crop rotation, yield abundant harvests without depleting the soil. Traditional farms coexist with high-tech vertical farms and aquaponic systems, ensuring a steady supply of fresh, organic produce year-round. Coastal communities sustainably harvest fish and seaweed, maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Forests are carefully managed to provide timber and other resources, with reforestation efforts ensuring that forest cover is continually expanding, supporting biodiversity and sequestering carbon.

Alternative Celtic History

In an alternative history where the Celtic people were never conquered, their society evolves with a profound connection to nature, deeply rooted in Druidic customs and Celtic lore. This solarpunk future reflects a harmonious blend of ancient wisdom and advanced technology. The Celts, with their reverence for the natural world, develop sophisticated sustainable practices, seamlessly integrating renewable energy and eco-friendly living into their everyday lives.

The landscape of this Celtic society is dotted with roundhouses and crannogs, traditional structures made from locally sourced, sustainable materials like timber and thatch. These dwellings are updated with green roofs and solar panels, providing energy while maintaining harmony with the environment. Sacred groves, revered as places of worship and reflection, are meticulously preserved, and advanced techniques in agroforestry and permaculture ensure that agriculture supports biodiversity and soil health. Celtic knotwork and ogham inscriptions adorn public spaces, celebrating cultural heritage while embracing cutting-edge design.

In this futuristic Celtic society, Druids play a central role as both spiritual leaders and keepers of knowledge. They oversee the use of renewable resources, guiding communities in the sustainable harvest of timber, the management of waterways, and the harnessing of wind and solar energy. Education is holistic, combining ancient lore with scientific inquiry. Children learn the healing properties of plants alongside principles of renewable energy and environmental stewardship. Festivals celebrate the changing seasons, with music, dance, and storytelling reinforcing communal bonds and cultural identity.

Solarpunk Irish Towns and Cityscapes

Anime/Studio Ghibli Vision of Irish Landscapes

These photos include the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, and the Burren National Park.

Solarpunk Celtic Style and People

Anime Meets 9th Century Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is a work of 9th century monastic art that depicts scenes in the Bible. This book was moved around quite a bit to protect it from being destroyed by the vikings. I took some photos I have of the Book of Kells and applied an anime/solarpunk/celtic filter.

Solarpunk Castles

If there is one thing the Irish landscape has in abundance, it is medieval castles. Below is a vision of medieval castles being repurposed for vertical agriculture.

Solarpunk Irish Countryside

Solarpunk Dublin Portal

Solarpunk Long Room/Trinity College Library

Solarpunk Irish Fairy Gardens

Futuristic Druids Meet Ancient Structures

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Solarpunk Spain & Al-Andalus – Art and Worldbuilding Ideas

Solarpunk Spain & Al-Andalus – Art and Worldbuilding Ideas

jbjwrites2 Comments

This is a collection of digital art that captures the vision of a solarpunk Spain, along with images of a futuristic Al-Andalus from an alternative timeline in which the Moors were never thrown out.

Back in 2022, I visited Madrid, along with Southern Spain, and took hundreds of photos of Moorish architecture, Moorish gardens, picturesque mountain side villages, Granada, and Seville. In this collection of digital art, I used my photos of Spain and enhanced them with Dream Studio, an AI art device. The collection below represents my experiment of enhancing pre-existing art with AI.

SOLARPUNK SPAIN

WHAT IS SOLARPUNK?

Solarpunk is a literary and artistic movement that envisions and works toward actualizing a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. The artistic genre uses the Art Nouveau style. The aesthetic also makes heavy use of bright colors and is often inspired by Studio Ghibli movies, particularly Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

WORLDBUILDING A SOLARPUNK SPAIN

In a solarpunk story, where renewable energy and sustainable practices shape the world, Southern Spain emerges as an ideal location due to its naturally sunny landscape. Vast solar farms can stretch across the picturesque plains, generating clean and limitless energy to power the cities and communities. This immense solar potential would allow Southern Spain to become a shining example of self-sufficiency and reduced carbon footprint.

The sunny landscape of Southern Spain offers an opportunity for the integration of solar energy into everyday life. Buildings can incorporate advanced solar panels seamlessly into their design, harnessing the sun’s energy for electricity and heating needs. Entire communities can adopt solar-powered infrastructure, including streetlights, public transportation, and charging stations for electric vehicles. The vibrant, sun-drenched streets of Southern Spain can become a hub of clean energy utilization, showcasing a future where sustainable technologies harmonize with the environment.

Southern Spain’s landscape can also inspire innovative agricultural practices. With the right approach, the region can leverage its abundant sunlight to promote sustainable farming techniques. Vertical farms and greenhouses equipped with solar panels can thrive, providing locally grown produce and reducing the need for long-distance transportation. These sustainable agricultural practices would not only contribute to food security but also preserve the region’s natural beauty and biodiversity.

SEVILLE

ANTEQUERA

PARQUE RETIRO AND MADRID

GARDENS

SKYLINES OF MOUNTAINOUS, SOUTHERN SPANISH TOWNS

FASHION

AL-ANDALUS 2077

I used photos of the Alhambra along with Spanish mosques to produce the pictures above. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, in addition to containing notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture.

ACTUAL HISTORY OF AL-ANDALUS

Al-Andalus was the Muslim ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. It was a center of learning and philosophy in the medieval world. The city of Córdoba, the second largest in Europe, became one of the leading cultural and economic centers throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Islamic world. Achievements that advanced Islamic and Western science came from al-Andalus, including major advances in trigonometry (Jabir ibn Aflah), astronomy (Al-Zarqali), surgery (Al-Zahrawi), pharmacology (Ibn Zuhr), and agronomy (Ibn Bassal and Abū l-Khayr al-Ishbīlī). Al-Andalus became a major educational center for Europe and the lands around the Mediterranean Sea as well as a conduit for cultural and scientific exchange between the Islamic and Christian worlds.

It was also the home of Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 AD), a scholar, Sufi mystic, and poet who is still extremely influential in Islamic thought and philosophy today.

Ultimately the Christian kingdoms in the North overpowered the Muslims states in the South. Between 1492-1610 massive numbers of Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain.

ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF AL-ANDALUS

In an alternative history of Al-Andalus, the Moors were not conquered and driven out. Instead the spirit of knowledge, spirituality, sufi mysticism and philosophy lived on. And once the people of Al-Andalus acquired renewable energy technology in the 21st century, they created a sustainable, post scarcity society where the people advanced beyond the Capitalist grind to create a utopia. In late 21st century, the people spend their days focusing on knowledge, art, culture, spiritual advancement, sufi mysticism, and living in peace with the Earth. They are inspired by the Quran’s description of sumptuous gardens in paradise, along with the command in the Quran not to walk too heavily upon the Earth (17:37).

MISCELLANEOUS