Writing and Painting

The painting above of a vase and a mango is one of my most recent. It's a small portion of a much larger set up. We went through a lot of mangoes before we finally finished. That's one of the problems with painting directly from life - fresh fruit, veggies and flowers soon spoil.

When I get stuck with my writing, I find it therapeutic to paint. Painting allows me to turn off those voices in my brain for a while - the voices of my characters nagging me to please do something, anything to help them out of the predicaments I left them in. Take my character, Lottie, for instance. Ever since I left her as a mouse in a tool shed, she's been pleading with me to turn her back into a human. Her fate is in my hands, after all. I'm thinking about it. It's just that my other characters have also been nagging me to get on with their stories. A little at a time, guys. I do have a day job you know.

Sometimes, despite my best intentions, the words don't flow from me like water from a spigot. Or I get stuck and need to step away from plot lines and characters for a while so I can take a fresh look at everything later. Then I turn to painting or drawing. In addition, every Saturday I take an oil painting class out in Riverhead with Robert Armetta - a wonderful painter and teacher. He looks more like a boxer than an artist but those 3-5 hours I spend painting in the studio every week are, for the most part, an oasis of quiet and relaxation. Even if my painting doesn't always turn out the way I want, I learn something in the process. After a few hours of painting or drawing I feel better prepared to take on the world of my characters and their dilemmas.

The Road Less Traveled

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

So concludes Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken", one of my favorites.

Why do I want to be an author of children's books, of all things? When I tell people my plans, they often look at me and say, "Better stick to being a librarian" or "Yeah, maybe one day I'll write a kid's book, too" as though nothing could be easier. In reality, writing a book that will captivate a child's imagination is a daunting task. Trying to get one published seems nearly impossible. Where to begin?

Well, as I told my son when he began questioning the feasibility of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, you start at the beginning and take one small step at a time. If you stop to think about how long it will take to cover over 2,100 miles, you'll be overwhelmed and perhaps never finish. In my quest to become an author, that is, after all, what I do; I take one step at a time.

For Derek, the beginning started long before the drive down to the approach trail in Georgia. It began months ago with some background reading. He researched the history of the trail, read thru-hiker's journals, took notes on the supplies he'd need, where to camp, how to deal with bears and what obstacles he might encounter. To get in shape, he started running. He made certain he bought lightweight, water resistant clothing and equipment. And he boxed and stockpiled loads of food for us to mail to various towns along the trail.

Becoming a writer requires self-education, too. Even though I write almost daily, I also read a great deal -- children's books, books about characterization, dialogue, plotting and thematic development, books about where to submit and how to get published. I subscribe to a professional writing journal and attend writing conferences from time to time. And I belong to a wonderful critique group who has helped me immensely. Still, I'm not there yet. Neither is Derek. But, with every day he spends on the trail, he gets closer to his goal. He knows, as well as I, that a lot of people begin the journey but few actually finish. It is, after all, an arduous undertaking.

Each of my tiny successes brings me closer to my goal too. How's that? Well, without them, I'd probably never have the will to keep plugging away. Every time I get something else published, I know I must be doing something right. So, I keep at it, one step at a time. Despite the rejections, the occasional feelings of unworthiness and, at times, the long upward climb, I keep at it.

Dylan Hears a What!

This certainly belongs in the Museum of the Hard To Believe. I love Dylan, but aw, give it up Mr. Zimmerman. Check it out.

http://dylanhearsawho.com/home.htm

A Clean Well-Lighted Space

Every aspiring author needs a place to write and here is mine. My husband found the desk at an antique shop years ago, sanded off the ugly black paint and refinished it. I love it! It has roomy drawers with pull out trays on either side.

I cannot write facing a blank wall. I need a window to look out and a little piece of nature to rest my eyes on - a graceful tree and a ribbon of blue sky. In front of my window is a mountain laurel. In the spring when it's covered with sweet smelling white flowers, a family of robins usually builds a nest there.

To the right (where you can't see) is a big bookcase. Half of it is filled with reference books and my writing and art books. The other half is filled with Den's science, math and history books. His desk and computer are on the other side of the room, which you aren't allowed to see (even I try not to see it).

Before I had this space, I wrote on the couch or in bed or wherever I could find a quiet spot. I don't need to have a desk next to a window with a view. It's just, well, nice to have a little place you can call your own.

The Dreaded Violin

The painting on the left gave me more problems than almost anything I've ever worked on (this was a couple of years ago). It was a headache from day one. Right after I gessoed the piece of masonite in preparation for painting, it warped and so, to straighten it out, I had to gesso the back. Then I really didn't get the surface very smooth so I had to sand it, apply more coats of gesso and sand it one more time. About midway through the painting, the whole thing warped - again. And did I mention the drawing? I had trouble lining up the neck of the violin with the bridge and that bottom thing that I can't remember the name of. The tail piece maybe?

Painting the feather was the fun part. Painting the musical notes was the most challenging. My art instructor, Robert, told me I shouldn't paint the notes in detail but, rather, suggest them so that somebody looking at the painting for the first time might say, "Oh, yes, musical notes."

By the time I'd finished painting the entire set up, I couldn't stand to look at it anymore. So, I stashed it in the back of my closet facing the wall. For a long time. A year or so later I took it out and looked at it. Hey, it wasn't that bad. I touched up a few spots, gave it a coat of varnish and had it framed. Now it's hanging on my wall.

I guess writing and painting have more in common than I once thought. They both require self-discipline, the willingness to see a project through to the end and lots of work on the rough spots.

Ramblings

Some people are compelled to do things and go places nearly every waking moment of their lives - climb Mount McKinley, tour South America, raft the Colorado River. We have an acquaintance who felt compelled to run a marathon on each continent - even Antarctica. His scariest marathon, he said, was the one he ran in Africa. Armed guards were posted along the route to protect the runners from any wild animals that might decide to have them for lunch.

My eldest son, Derek, is getting ready to hike the Appalachian Trail. Next weekend, my husband will drive him down to Georgia where he will begin his long trek northward along the spiny back of the Appalachian Mountains to Maine - more than 2,100 miles! As a mother, I worry. Will he have enough to eat? Will he get hurt? Will he tangle with any bears? I can't let myself think about everything that might go wrong, else I will drive myself crazy. Yes, I wish I could protect my sons from every danger they encounter but, at the same time, I know those struggles make them stronger people, better equipped to deal with the bigger obstacles life hurls in their path

Every two weeks, Derek will be writing an article about his observations and adventures for Sayville's local newspaper, The Suffolk County News. He just had his first article published. It focused on the the history of the AT and his personal goals and expectations. I must say, he did a nice job! My sister, Vicky, has a degree in journalism and my dad worked as a reporter for The Manchester Guardian in England when he was young . Perhaps Derek, too, has the writing bug. At any rate, onward and upward. I'll keep an update on his long walk over the following months.