Good writing day yesterday, and I’m expecting another today. Hallelujah! So grateful to be feeling better…
I’ve been thinking about discoveries a lot lately–especially after Jeremy and I visited that wonderful art supply store in New York. While there, I bought a little packet of gorgeous hand-painted papers, for use in collage, etc. When I got back to the hotel, I spent some time examining them, and I was delighted to find that the artist had used newspapers and grocery bags, etc., painting on one side and leaving the other to proudly proclaim its origins. 🙂 WOW. I mean, I knew about hand-painted papers, of course–but it was the recycling element that really got me excited. Next trip to the supermarket, I asked for paper bags–pleased to find that they were 100 percent recycled and could be composted in the bargain–cut them apart in my craft room, gessoed them, and painted away. They turned out great–some are still in process–and I felt happy to give new life to those bags.
What I love best about art, I think, is the sense of experimentation. Since I’m not a professional, there’s no pressure to produce something with commercial value. I absolutely adore trying out new techniques and products and, even though these often fail, I still have a LOT of fun. I make a great many mistakes, no denying that, but I learn so much more from those than from the successes. This is true of my writing, too–people are asking me what happened to Lucy-Maude’s kittens–mentioned in “Big Sky Country.” Mea culpa! The plain truth is, I forgot all about the poor little things, I got so into the love story. (Rest assured: all the kittens found good, loving homes and Lucy-Maude is thriving.) 🙂 The only consolation is, I probably won’t make that particular mistake again–I’ll be too busy making new ones. 🙂
I’m off to write, experiment with art, and make plenty of mistakes.
Life is good.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
