when it begins with a theme

 

As I said before, I can't tell you how to create books here. What I can do is relate how it has worked for me with some of my own. The following will be an example of when I used a theme, the book, Moon Dust.

First, I need to better define what I mean by theme. Frankly, I went to the dictionary for some synonyms that might explain how I am using the word. There were a lot of good ones including: subject, concept, essence, marrow, pith, gist. I don't know if that gets to the heart of what I am trying to describe, which is that, where the topics range from abuse to brainwashing, heartbreak, education, etc. the real theme is healing, and it fits with all that comes up in the book.

My interest in writing the story began with knowing that not only girls are sexually abused but also boys. It's not been taken as seriously when it's a male because they are supposed to be enjoying it. The thing is-- abuse is about power taken away. It's not enjoyable for any victim.

Before I began writing, I researched by reading several books on what the abuse can be when it's a boy as well as what the impact was when they grew up. Men have been too often denied counseling for it. That means its impact can be hidden under other emotional issues.

Moon Dust had another subject that isn't so popular for romances. It begins with a divorce. The male protagonist was a high school principal, who has much responsibility for the teachers and children under his wings. To flesh out the character, I remembered the high school principals I had known. Having a hero involved in concern for kids, led to what education should be and the downside of it-- what about youths who are being brainwashed by those who seek power over them. Principals run into all sorts of problems.

What? That doesn't sound like a romance. Well, romances often aren't what readers expect. They can be; but for me, I need something more and this theme was about people needing to recognize what happened to them and when to get treatment.

Writing this book, even with a difficult subject, was one I enjoyed because I cared about the topics. I helped myself by the heroine being a home decorator, which enabled me to explore what it takes to help someone else find the right decor for their home. It was a lighter touch to add to the heavier theme of divorce and adult emotional disorders due to childhood trauma.

Of course, there was a love story, if not the usual one. Some violence, growth of the characters through what they are learning, and, naturally a happy ending- if not what's expected.  

Moon Dust has not caught on with romance readers maybe because it's more woman's fiction. How do you label books? Don't ask me! I write what works for me and hope it finds readers looking for a little something more in their reading. That key word-- finding-- is always the problem.

I have started other books with a theme in mind, but this is probably one of the strongest. I  like this book. I hoped to write about it here to encourage other writers to also look for what interests them. That will lead to the characters and the plot. Yes, plot and theme are not the same thing.

My photos from a visit to Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland Oregon

amazing place to spend much time.

Memorial Day bonus

by Rain Trueax

In the United States, today is Memorial Day, significant to many for assorted reasons. I thought in a troubled time such as we are in, posting a reminder that nature is not only reassuring for how it goes on in such times, but also good for blood pressure and to relax.

The videos are taken from our neighborhood. The first one came from a wildlife cam that our neighbor borrowed when they couldn't figure out what was walking on their roof at night between midnight and three or four am. The videos it shot gave the answer and we blended them into what you see. Besides the YouTube link, it can also be seen at my nature blog: The Night Visitors

This one is how the honeybees are drawn to the saguaro blooms. In Tucson, all honeybees are Africanized, often called killer bees. They are certainly mellow in the video where they are only concerned with gathering pollen to take back to the hive. The birds also love it when the saguaro blooms.  It can also be seen at my video blog for nature: Bees and the Saguaro Blossom.

To see nature at work, watching the birds, the clouds sail by, it's all a reminder to me that we are part of it. In troubled times, it is soothing to the soul to be reminded there is more out there than us.

by Diane: Simple recipe for painter's block

The roll of fox paintings was interrupted by my husband's gall bladder surgery. On Saturday the day after surgery he did well. We enjoyed a brief visit from daughter Melinda, Mark and Madisen being available in case we needed anything. We sure appreciate their love. As the days passed he could not sit around and constantly he was on the go giving me time to paint.

The fox is not visiting the dry field however.

Furthermore many of my observations were about violent encounters of wildlife.

Doing more violent paintings has no inspiration for me after the mass shootings last weekend.

 

Working in the flower garden before my husband's surgery was an obvious starting point for new paintings.

 

 One catalyst for creating something new is making connections between unrelated things. Making a visual connection between absurdities.

 I found a used surface - a partially finished abstract watercolor started in Ruth Armitage's workshop on Approaching the Abstract.

 

 

 

 I set up in my front yard where I could be inspired by our flowers. Even if my husband has a different aesthetic for the flower garden cleaning up my preference for a jungle garden, I could at least paint a jungle like Henri Rousseau's "The Dream".

 

 

 

Only "The Dream" is 6' 8 1/2" x 9' 9 1/2".  The forms in the large painting compressed to my small 12" square surface became a challenge more difficult than my ability to render.  I first painted the nude in the water departing from Rousseau's.  The abstract pipe cleaner marks like water in a stream became more dominate in the painting than "The Dream" and my flower garden. I decided to play with  the nude in the stream.

The lily at center took away from the flow of the stream. With some paint thinner on a rag I easily removed the lily. Removal was easy because of how well

 I had covered the watercolor with acrylic medium.

The theme for this painting will be continued

 on a medium sized 22''x28" canvas with another abstract already on the surface.

Maybe I will come back and paint more bubbles inspired by the circles in the original abstract. The bubbles are blown form the golden flute. Also will judge if this painting is racist because the dark skinned flutter is in a darker part of the painting.

Part III: Diane Widler Wenzel on How I Hang the Pictures I Paint

A general description of a painting studio is a work place for painting fine art. I seldom work in my mostly storage for painting studio.

In Part III the bedroom storage studio contains a large selection of easy to find paintings. They are assessable whether I need them to hang in a gallery outside the home or for experimenting with   throughout my home. In the doorless clothes closet two storage bins are on wheels so I can pull them out to for the paintings on the sides and back.


The small studio work area gets messy but I know where my watercolors, acrilics, oils, brushes are more or less. Also some of my tools for hanging pictures are on the shelves below like the studfinder, hardware for aluminum frames, hooks and screw eyes. Sometimes the tape measurer is there or where I was last using it, but can most likely be found in the kitchen drawer which also contains the hammer, plyers, wire cutter and screw drivers. Behind the workbench not in the picture is a step stool which often is a neccessity in hanging pictures since I am short. The pictures on the wall with pictures is wall storage. The antique grade school first aid cabinet contains ceramic pieces and collage items.

The open  storage cabinet is also on wheels important for a small room. I have plenty of wall space for paintings and a bulletin board for notes on coming shows, inspiring quotes, and reproductions of favorite works by other artists.

The cabinet has doors that open to a top shelf with new and used sketch books. The middle shelf has my oils and some framing supplies. The lowest one holds a wooden box for hauling paintings currently filled with framed paintings under glass ready to take to the next venue.

 

 

The clothes closet is converted to storing two rolling open cabinets for storing paintings and other supplies. The metal shelves were purchased from a family who used it as a pantry. The top half has finished work of mine and other artists and below I sort whatever papers that are in process.

I feel blessed to have a husband who is not only supportive but provides for my life as an artist by building art stuff and giving me space in our home and time to paint. My working painting studio where I actually paint is any place on our property indoors or out where I can hang a painting and set up my painting stuff.  Often I look at a once finished painting and think of a new direction. So I haul out my paint brush and add a stroke or two of paint. Most often I paint on our patio or I roll back the tablecloth from the paint drop cloth underneith.

 

In conclusion to this three part series I hope to interest at least one person to be more adventurous. Fearless enough to ask what if and then follow their instincts.  Buying or making paintings, then starting to bravely pound hooks into their walls in places they hadn't considered as ideal.  Then leaving empty wall spaces to compliment their groupings of paintings. 

Being creative is natural, satisfying, challenging and never complete. The feeling when overcoming the frustration in learning to master a new skill is very much the feeling felt from being a fine arts painter with a rich creative development.  In addition, I have found that I can be a continuously prolific painter in a limited space.  The thinking behind collecting and hanging paintings can be just like the thinking process of a painter.