Unicorn in the Morning Mist

In an attempt to be a more rounded blogger (and because sometimes I don't have a lot to say) I will be posting my artwork from time to time. A lot of it will be old stuff that's collecting dust on the walls of my home, or on other people's walls. Sometimes it will be new stuff, because what artist doesn't want to show off their blood, sweat and tears?

Today's offering is a painting I did way back in 1999, several months after I was first married and while I was pregnant with my first child. Even after all these years, and all I've learned about oil painting since, this is still one of my favorites. I love the contrast between the soothing lavender mist and the bright red sky. Originally the unicorn started out as a white horse, but back in those days I could never get excited about a painting unless it had some fantasy element in it (which you will notice in later artsy posts). The fairy hovering before her nose was put in over a year later as an afterthought. This particular painting is framed in a gorgeous gold and red frame (not shown here), as a birthday gift from my Mother-in-Law. It is hanging in my formal living room which was decorated to match.

Unicorn in the Morning Mist  oil on canvas 1999

New Beginnings

In an effort to reboot my writing career, I thought it was a sign of change to start with a new blog. As many of you know (or don't know, or possibly don't care) my dream for being published was dealt a pretty heavy setback a few months ago. Everything had been going well, I'd landed a small publisher and was all excited for my debut novel R.A.G.E. to finally see print. I won't bore ya'll with the details, but after nearly two years in the holding tank, (and, as Seinfeld would say, yada yada yada) I decided to part ways with my publisher.

Not that my long journey with my previous publisher was a waste of time by any means. Before they picked me up I was on the verge of self-publishing. Looking back and the enormous faults of the manuscript at that time...well you can imagine what a disaster that would have been. I learned so much in the last few years writing-wise, and R.A.G.E. has grown in leaps and bounds.

Now, even though this was my own choice to leave my publisher, it was still a painful time. Depressing would be a good word. Combine that with the winter blues and I sometimes wondered if I would ever pull out of it. A lot of authors would decide this is a good time for a writing hiatus, or perhaps a walkabout.

It's been a steep uphill climb the past few months. My confidence in my writing had been shattered. My imagination and creativity was at an all time low. However, by golly, when it came right down to it, I knew I couldn't give up writing, even if not a single one of my books ever saw print.

I'm happy to report that R.A.G.E. is now in the last round of edits before it's off to some new publishers for review and (finger and toe crossies) possibly publication. I'm also working on another manuscript that I'm quickly falling in love with. It's a sci-fi horror novel entitled Project Specter which includes a haunted house, a crazy lady, a suburban neighborhood and an entity from another world.

So here is the beginning of my reboot with Nonsensical Essentials. I'd love if you followers of Art n' Writin' (which is going into the dusty archives of my past) would come on over here and hear all the super important gibberish that I have to say.

Until then, a big thank you to Spring for showing up early and setting the scene for a new beginning. 2013 is going to be a wonderful year!