A.I. and magpies.

[Philip Edwards]

Hi Group.

You probably don’t know this but there have been times in the past when I’ve done a bit of writing; even managed to get things published. Sadly, upon retiring, I entered a deep period of ‘writer’s block. Strangely though I think A.I. has managed to draw me out again.

We regularly feed the resident birds in our garden. The magpies are my personal favourites. When grandchildren are around I often try to teach them the magpie rhyme; the one that goes, One for sorrow. Two for joy, three for a girl. etc. It got me thinking. Maybe I should buy them a book that illustrates the rhyme. However, I was really shocked to discover that there wasn’t one. Not even on Amazon.

So, I decided to write one myself.

I had tried using A.I. to generate images in the past. Along my A.I. journey of discovery though, I found out that it is possible to get Chat GPT to generate images for you. (There are restrictions though. You’re only allowed 3 images per day with a free account)

I started experimenting and found that I was stunned by some of the images.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/photos/share/uzB47k9GyWb5yOCwsgUVgRVsMKCrvoC4NVfwA8jrZjg

 

I learned to be quite specific in my requests. It was possible to constrain the images to a certain size. It was also possible to get A.I. to add a certain number of magpies to the image however, it appears not to be able to count past three. If I asked for say seven, I’d often get some random number.

It even managed to offer me suggestions. For instance, when I asked it to suggest an image to illustrate, “seven for a secret never told,” it gave me the idea of a locked chest, lost in a forest. Genius.

 

Another surprise for you….I have an illustrator. A young lady by the name of Sue Rundle-Hughes. We’ve worked on projects in the past. Now, I feel that it would be wrong to use the A.I. images to illustrate a book, but surely it would be OK to use the images to illustrate my thoughts, then get the artist to flesh out the ideas with real paint and canvas.

I’ll keep you informed on the progress of the project.

 

 

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[Philip Edwards]

And another thing. Chat GPT appears to have an imagination. You can ask it to form an opinion. For instance.

 

Can you think of a good way to illustrate the line from the magpie rhyme, “four for a boy”?

 

Gave this response.

 

For “four for a boy,” an engaging illustration could depict a scene with four magpies interacting near a young boy in an English countryside or garden. Here’s an idea to bring this line to life:

 

Imagine a serene, lush meadow with a young boy, perhaps around five or six years old, sitting on the ground, joyfully examining a small collection of wildflowers, pebbles, or other natural “treasures.” Nearby, four magpies are perched on branches, fence posts, or hopping around the boy, almost as if they’re sharing in his curiosity. One magpie might be holding a small trinket like a shiny button or coin, as magpies are known for their attraction to shiny objects.

 

To add more depth, consider adding elements that evoke a classic British setting—soft wildflowers, a gentle path, and perhaps a quaint garden wall or rustic fence nearby, creating an inviting scene of youthful discovery.

 

 

[David Harrison]

Both these posts are really interesting and I can see we now have two items to discuss when the group reconvenes. Your Composers “sapp” and this Magpie rhyme book – both using AI.

Thanks for sharing.

[Author]

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