The Lowcountry

Tony and I are just back from a few days in the South Carolina lowcountry.

Back to Beaufort. We had a lovely, though short, trip. I wanted to see the city again with experienced eyes, and check out the local art scene with my new character, Elle Garvey, in mind.

I had lunch with friend Connie Hipp who helped me so much while writing Sweet Caroline.


I also stopped in to see her daughter, Catherine, who works for the Chamber of Commerce. Catherine and the Chamber were also very kind to me during my first visit.

I met my resident lawywer-turned-bookstore owner, Lisa Estes. She answered my legal questions for Sweet Caroline and interestingly enough, bought the down town book store, Bay Street Trader.

My local artist expert, Deanne Bowdish walked me through her gallery, The Gallery, talking art and what it takes to run a gallery. Deanna was a great help and inspiration.

I actually had a unique experience while viewing art in her gallery. While studying the abstract pieces, I noticed I didn't feel "comfortable." They challenged me, sort of.














The colors, the structure, the lines of the paintings. But, when I got to the landscape scenes, I felt comforted. Why? Those are more like me. Yet, being challenged was good. We all need to be challenged.

Same with worship music, I'm discovering. But that's for another blog. We are home.

A Morning With An Artist

After morning prayer at church, I trotted off to find an artist I know in town. Jon Houghton.

His wife told me he was teaching a workshop on portraiture in Eau Gallie, so off I went again.

I found the place - miracle enough - and Jon with his students. They were drawing the bust of a young woman who has the amazing talent of sitting stone still for fifteen minutes at a time. This whole session wowed me.

First, I can barely draw stick people. My artistic ability begins and ends with drawing a tree with a rail fence in front of it.

Second, I tried to sit still like the model. Didn't last sixty seconds. The room was an round shape almost and surrounded by windows. The lighting was low and classical music played in the background.

While I watched and listened as Jon worked with each student, I jotted notes and even clips of dialog for book-next I'm writing: First Comes Love. I found myself being creative in a creative environment, thinking of all the highs and lows that must face a fine artist.

In some ways, I'm considered an artist, but I'm a writer, technically, and I have avenues for my work. Drawing and painting is difficult to sell well enough to make a living. But many do it.

Thursday Jon and I meet for more in-depth artist talk.

For me, it's important to get inside the vocation of my characters. Because vocation leads to motivation which leads to conflict, tension or even resolution.

How does an artist think? Why art? Why a living at art? What is their motivation? Ever have a creative block? What options are open to artist to display or sell their work. Technique comes into play. History.

Jon was great. He kept quoting the greats in the workshop. Which gave me an idea... So, there is real value in getting under the skin of a character's vocation/career/passion.

My heroine in this book, so far, is really jumping off the page. Now, I just need to fine tune my synopsis, get it to the folks who matter and see if they like her as much as I do.

Hey, God is good!