Friday, January 8, 2016

A is for Art


 
 Margaret talks about being artistic
 
  My dictionary definition of art is skill - human skill as opposed to nature; skill applied to music, painting, poetry, etc. It refers to the arts but does not specifically mention writing, which I find somewhat surprising because isn’t writing an art?
  I paint as well as write but I consider both of them artistic. In fact I would say there is more creative artistry in writing than there is in painting. Painting is a visual form, writing a mental one, but the art form is always there because when we write we picture each scene in our mind’s eye. As we hope our reader’s do!
  Below is the opening scene from my book Rachel’s Retribution which I hope paints a very artistic picture of what is happening.


 Rachel felt a chill steal down her spine as the man strode into the bistro. She shrank back into the shadows, her heartbeat accelerating. The last time she had spoken to him he had verbally thrashed her to within an inch of her life. She had been young and foolish and had let him down big time. For days afterwards she had cried, feeling as though it was the end of her world.

Their last meeting had prompted her to move from Ireland to North Yorkshire in England. She had needed to get away from her old life, make a new start, forget her stupidity. As she studied him she placed her hand over heart, as if by so doing she could somehow bring calm. Heat ran through her, even her palms were clammy. This was a man she had never hoped to see again.

If everything had gone according to plan she would not have been here, she would not be shaking life a leaf in the wind. Liam Mallory belonged to a part of her life she had thought was over, a part that still mortified her every time she thought about it. Meeting him now, having to speak to him, would be far too embarrassing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 comments:

  1. I'm not sure I agree that there's MORE creative artistry in writing than in painting--perhaps different? But wow, your excerpt definitely paints a compelling picture. I feel so badly for her, and I don't even know why yet!

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    1. Yes, you're probably right, it is different artistry, but both bring out creative juices, and my poor heroine had such a hard time.

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  2. I love this, Margaret. How wonderful that you are a painter, too.
    Three year olds paint, draw and sculpt better than me.
    My only other creative skills are cooking and gardening.

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    1. We all have different skills, Ana. Gardening, like painting, is creating colour but in a different way.

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  3. Great excerpt, Margaret, which certainly 'paints a picture' of her emotions. And I envy your painting skills! My grandfather was a watercolour artist, but that's a talent I have definitely not inherited from him!

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    1. My father painted in both watercolours and oils, though I never saw him doing it. I'm glad my excerpt painted a picture.

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  4. This definitely gave me a great visual of the scene while I was reading. And like Jennifer, I'm right there with her, feeling her anxiety, even though you've only teased us with the details.

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    1. Thanks, Debra, that was my intention. Even out of context I think it works.

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  5. Your excerpt made my stomach churn! I felt her horror as the man walked in. You really did 'paint' the picture.

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