My Last Big Completed Project—More Than Just Painting

When I thought I had finished my first novel, Girl Running, I couldn't wait to see it in print. I worked on some cover art, and went all out with my graphics software, and at the same time came across http://nomediakings.org/doityourself/doityourself_book_press.html. That was all the inspiration I needed. (Hamish MacDonald also has a nifty website, http://www.hamishmacdonald.com/)
Here are some snippets of the art that went into the project…
I know, it looks like she's wearing a bra—I actually thought white was compositionally appropriate, but polkadots or stripes might have been a better choice.
I got out some of my art supplies, and painted them. Then did the same with an old photo of a piano keyboard that I warped in my graphics software, and came up with these two elements...

You may be wondering, 'Why paint brushes and a keyboard?" My protagonist, Leila, is impossibly talented— that's why.

Next, some interior accents—Chapter Headers and the fist letter of each chapter, sort of like illumination, but not so elaborate.

...and some of those little 'thingies' placed between sections of a book...

I put all that together, printed my signatures, sewed them together, and trimmed them (Okay, my husband did the trimming—he won't let me use sharp implements for reasons that don't require much imagination). Then I put them in the cover, and this is what I came up with...

Notice the neat little jacket sewn into the back, for the soundtrack—and yes, I know I can't distribute it without copyright permissions...

Whether or not I find a publisher for Story for a Shipwright, I plan to do the same with it, but this time I hope the manuscript will be all polished and complete before I bind it…

Black and White to Color

I think I may have bit off more than I was ready to commit to with this one—it’s the first time I tried to translate a black and white photo to color. I do love the composition, though. It's hard to tell in this photograph, but the old woman is pulling those last bits of feathers from a chicken! What I like so far about this attempt is the old woman's arm—don't know why, but it makes me want to finish it!

A Stalled Portrait

I've always loved painting portraits, but I started this one and just couldn't get beyond, 'what if it doesn't look like her'...that's why I moved on to a still life—thought all the hard lines might feel less ominous, I mean, after all, a vase is a vase, right?

A Successfully Completed Still Life

This is one I completed a few years ago, so I know I have it in me...and yes, it is a watercolor. I know there's little left to the imagination, but I can't help myself!

Got Stuck on This

I started this one but just lost interest...maybe it's a case of been there, done that.

Writing Instead of Painting

Over the past 2 years I've worked on 3 novels. My first 2 were, shall I say, verbose—the first at 150,000 words. I pitched it as Women’s Fiction only to learn it was Young Adult—150,000 words? No takers. So what. The sequel was only 123,000.

Story for a Shipwright is a modest 89,000 words of Commercial Fiction. I’m hoping to send out queries over the summer, and then move back toward painting, which used to be my primary creative outlet. These days, I find more satisfaction in writing. Maybe if I get the stories out of my head and onto paper, then I'll be able to go back to the drawing table, pick of one of my fine-point sable brushes, and it will behave for me. For now, perhaps I'll post a few of my watercolor works in progress—maybe that will motivate me...it's worth a try... Besides, I've learned that writers need to take a long break from a story before the final edit—as if I could stay away from it that long.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to break the record for the most posted query revisions on The Public Query Slushpile—I’m not really, but I seriously think my borderline OCD has just gone full-blown! How embarrassing, once you hit the ‘POST’ button and can’t take it back…