Creative Endeavors

By Fran McNabb

If you follow Victoria Johnson and her fabulous blogs and were expecting to read another one of hers today, I hope you’re not too disappointed. Victoria asked me to step in to fill her spot just for this month. She should be back in full writing mode by next month.

All of us who started writing with Avalon Books still call ourselves Avaloners even though the publishing company no longer exists. Over the years we’ve become close “virtual” friends and colleagues. The group has a tremendous amount of expertise to offer in the field of writing, but I’ve realized that many of us also use other mediums to express our creativity.

I’m in the middle of putting out another book and I’m relying on the talents of a fellow Avaloner, Sofie Couch who also goes by the name of Annettte Jareb, to help me get the story published. Like so many other authors, Annette has other talents besides writing and has used those talents to start a business called Right Brain Graphic Design. She has an eye for designing book covers and the talent to work with software and create the cover. I have an eye for covers as well, but don’t ask me to use a computer to create the cover. I’m not at all technical. Thank goodness there are people in this world who are. Annette explains “in first grade, my BFF declared that she was going to be a writer. Not to be left out, I announced that I was going to illustrate her books. Today, I do both. As Sofie Couch, I write sweet romance. As Right Brain Press, LLC, I design book covers.” Check her out at www.rightbraingraphicdesign.weebly.com

Another Avaloner Sandy Cody spends her non-writing time quilting. "There’s more similarity between the two than you might think,” she said. “Both involve love of components that go into a finished product. I love words. I feel joy in their power to translate ideas into stories. I also love color. I’m fascinated by the way a color’s mood is affected by other colors–much like the characters writers create. A book begins as a tangle of ideas with a glint of story shining through. A quilt begins as a mishmash of colors and patterns that clash. Both writer and quilter study their components, testing combinations to blend conflicting parts into a harmonious whole. So much for similarities. It’s

the difference that makes them work for me. Writing is intellectual; quilting is tactile, a variance that requires different thought processes. Thus, the two activities feed off one another. In this quilt (to the right) I had fun playing with color. I used a basic pattern, put together a series of clashing reds, set them next to harmonizing grays, and threw in a bit of black for pop. The cat in the center was a lucky find. Serendipity. A welcome element in any venture.

Sandy isn’t the only Avaloner who spends time both writing and quilting. Leigh Verrill-Rhys also quilts.

Even though I (Fran McNabb) have always loved sewing, I never mastered the art of quilting. Like Sandy, I, too, love fabric and color. At one time I sewed for Mardi Gras and made hundreds of costumes for the balls along the Gulf Coast, but my favorite part wasn’t creating the garment, it was decorating it after the costume was made. I loved working with sequins and other embellishments. Today I don’t sew as much, but I spend a lot of time painting (It’s easier on the arthritic hands). I started by painting bookmarks to complement my books to sell at festivals. It wasn’t long before I realized I loved painting as much as writing. I work in acrylic. My painting (on the left) is called “Garden Gate” and was inspired by the cover of one of my books that is no longer in print.

Another Avaloner who loves to paint is Deborah Nolan. “When I went to law school, I quit painting,”

Deborah said, “and didn't start again until about ten years ago when I'd kind of retired. I paint mostly in oils and have been taking art classes in NYC every Wednesday night for more than ten years.  I haven't sold any of my paintings but my kids' apartment walls are all adorned.” Her painting of the barn (on the right)is about 5 feet by 5 feet and hangs in her apartment.

Even though writing and marketing what we write takes a tremendous amount of time, many of our Avalon authors have found time to enjoy other ways to use their creativity. Way to go, Ladies. Keep up the great work.

FRAN McNABB writes tender romances and will add to her eight published novels with her newest book, A SOLDIER’S HONOR, coming out within the next few weeks. Check out her others at  www.FranMcNabb.com