February At Last - Looking Forward to Spring

I'm excited that January is over, and February is here at last. This will be a very busy month.

Thank you, David Carr and Chesapeake Bay Writers, for putting me and my novel, Evening of the Dragonfly on your front page for this month. I am looking forward to my appearance on Monday, February 8 on the Neal Steele morning radio show.

On February 16, I will be a guest on Barbara Hodges' No Limits talk radio show discussing my book, Evening of the Dragonfly. This month might fly by as we look forward to spring.

Here is the front page of Chesapeake Bay Writers:

 Like Chesapeake Bay Writers

Member Showcase: February 2016

Mary Montague Sikes

Author of

Evening of the Dragonfly

Tune in to XTRA 99.1FM to hear the Author interviewed by Neal Steele on CBW's Second Monday monthly broadcast, February 8th at about 8:05AM. If you miss the live broadcast, click the icon below.

About the Book Threatening telephone calls and strange cars with dark-tinted windows plague artist/teacher Farrah Ferand. Recovering from the tragic loss of her mother, Farrah is trying to adapt to the life of a small-town art teacher when she encounters Dirk Lawrence, a mysterious stranger. Her attraction to him is immediate and electric until Farrah discovers Dirk is part of the Lawrence and Pendesky investment firm that led to her mother's downfall a few years earlier. Farrah's not too perfect dating relationship with Tom Douglas, the town favorite football coach, worsens. An unexpected encounter leads to dates with Dirk and his help with the construction of a dream art studio in her rented house. But trouble looms with Tom who believes he and Farrah are engaged, and the entire town appears to be drawn in. Haunting dreams and lost memories overwhelm Farrah as she creates paintings for a one-person art show. Will shadows of the past ruin all hope for Farrah and Dirk? About the Author Mary Montague Sikes grew up near the bloody Civil War battlefields of Central Virginia where thousands died. Those early years in a landscape where tears still flowed sparked her interest in the psychic and the paranormal that carries over into her writing today. Sikes loves to travel, especially to the Caribbean and Jamaica where she discovered the legend of the White Witch of Rose Hall Great House that inspired her first novel, Hearts Across Forever. More psychic encounters in Sedona, Arizona led to her novel, Eagle Rising. Adventures in Antigua became the book, Secrets by the Sea. Then, an escapade in Trinidad developed into the story of Night Watch. Her love of "Indiana Jones" type quests took her to the Maya Ruins of Palenque and eventually directed her to write Jungle Jeopardy. She has been told by readers that her novel, Daddy's Christmas Angel, set in a small fictitious American town, is the "best book I've ever read". The romance is a little like "Sleepless in Seattle" and has a happy ending.An artist before she was an author, Mary Montague Sikes has a scrapbook with drawings she made as a two-year-old. Like Farrah Ferand in Evening of the Dragonfly, she spends many hours each month in a painting studio built over her garage. When she isn't writing or painting, she enjoys travel to exotic destinations that might one day become part of her Passenger to Paradise book series. Email the Author <-> Visit her Website <-> Buy the Book at Amazon

Is January the Longest Month of the Year?

"Cold Sunset in January" ©Mary Montague Sikes

It's still January. I don't know why, but January always seems the longest month of the year to me. Perhaps it's the short days and long nights that cause it to linger so long. Perhaps it is the lull following a hectic holiday season. However long it may seem, it is a good time to reflect about the past year.

Favorite TV Shows:

The Americans - Many changes are looming. I may not like it so much in the new season
Homeland - So fast-paced with amazing twists and turns. Although I don't like violence, I have thrown up my hands in surrender for all these shows.
Madam Secretary - Tea Leoni makes this show. The family is drawn into the story in both appealing and troubling ways.
Chicago PD - Although I disliked him at first, Hank Voight really makes this show a favorite of mine.
NCIS - This program has lots of appealing characters which leads to its success year after year. I also like NCIS Los Angeles and NCIS New Orleans.

Favorite Destinations 2015:

Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Utah
Key West
Jupiter, Florida for St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training 

Favorite Art Activities 2015:

Teaching "Painting Like Georgia" Workshops
Taking a Carrie Brown Workshop in Myrtle Beach SC
Having a One-Person Art Show at the Ward Center for Contemporary Art in Petersburg VA
Creating an Art Show for the Main Character in my novel, Evening of the Dragonfly 
Having a One-Person Art Show at Arts Alive in West Point for Evening of the Dragonfly Paintings

Thinking back on 2015, perhaps it's actually a good thing to have a long January to reflect and to recover.

"Evening of the Dragonfly Signing and Art Show"

Writing the Romance Novel, How Things Have Changed

It seems I've been writing books forever. For a long time, I worked alone and tried to learn all I could on my own. In those days, there weren't any writer's groups in my area of the world.

Eventually, I found my long-time mentor, the late Jane Deringer, who taught me a million things about writing. However, Jane was not a romance writer, and somewhere along the way I decided I wanted to write romance.

When Silhouette Books, a very strong romance publisher at the time, sent several of their writers to Richmond, including Nora Roberts, to present talks at the Miller and Rhoads Tea Room, I was truly hooked on romance and the success of these authors. That day, my husband and I passed a pad around the room to gather the names of those interested in starting a romance writers group. And so Richmond Romance Writers, later renamed Virginia Romance Writers, was born.

The year was 1986, the year I also joined Romance Writers of America and attended my first ever RWA convention in Minneapolis MN. Being in a glamorous situation with so many published authors was an amazing experience. My husband and I even got upgraded to a lavish suite with window walls and electronic curtains. The workshops filled me with hope and promise for a rewarding and profitable career as a book author. I hung on every word, and when I returned home, I gobbled up every page of the monthly RWA magazine.

Trouble was, I probably am better suited to writing non-fiction. After all, I was a freelance writer for lots of years, covering public meetings, taking photos, writing feature stories, and more. I was given assignments; I followed the rules and loved seeing big newspaper and magazine stories with my byline on them.

But the fiction-writing bug had bitten me, and I kept on going, working on a novel along with my newspaper work.

"Get an agent," I was told. I did and was surprised to land one of the best on the RWA recommended list. I spoke with her at a conference and was impressed, but when I called I always spoke with her father. Then I discovered she was in lots of trouble and no longer on the acceptable list. My next agent went to jail for a couple of years. Another changed to a children's book publisher soon after I signed with her. The story goes on and on. I never found the right agent and eventually gave up.

Many of the writers I started out with are now successful authors on the New York Times Bestseller list. I applaud them. They had the "write" stuff and the tenacity to stick with it. I didn't. Rejection letters blew me away. I couldn't keep going. I couldn't rewrite my books to follow "the formula".

I kept on writing and have eight published novels, but they aren't romance. I recently found an article published 12 years ago by Pamela Regis in the RWR (Romance Writers Report) that defines a romance novel as "a work of prose fiction that tells the story of the courtship and betrothal of one or more heroines." I'm uncertain if that is the definition of a romance novel today. It might be.

When trying to decide which contest category was the correct one into which to enter my latest book, Evening of the Dragonfly, I decided the best fit was "novel with strong romantic elements". All of my stories are like that. They never have and never could fit a formula. The stories form inside my head and the characters soon take over.

Over the years, they said that artists were not acceptable as heroines of romance novels. I never understood why. Farrah Ferand, the heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly is an artist. They also said, "Write what you know." I did, so maybe I got some of it right.

Have things changed for you in your writing life? How?

Art and Writing, Writing and Art

"Farrah's Art Show"

Art and writing. Writing and art. For many years, I've looked for ways to combine the two.

My most recent attempt was to allow artist Ferrah Ferand, the heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, the opportunity to actually paint the exhibition she creates in the book. Over the past few months, I've had several showings of the work that were accompanied by book signings. I'm not sure how much help the art shows have been, but in one case the paintings were a major hit.

During the two days after Thanksgiving, when my work was part of the Mathews Bay School Holiday Open House, I told many passersby about the meaning of the show. They listened politely, and some asked questions. However, not many book sales resulted from Farrah's Art.

I enjoyed talking to the visitors, most of whom were participating in an Artists Studio Open House which allowed the touring of about seven different art studios located inside or near private homes in the area. The weather was nice both days, and the people entering the gallery were appreciative of the opportunity to see so much original art. They were also quite interested in the jewelry displays located inside the Bay School Gallery.

Writing and art. My next project will involve writing statements about various pieces of art I have produced for sale. You would think that would be quite simple for a writer who is also an artist. It isn't, but still I am looking forward to doing this. What is my inspiration? What is the story for this piece?

Painting Show for Farrah Brings Life to a Book Signing

Evening of the Dragonfly Book Signing and Art Show

Having a book signing to go with my painting show for Farrah Ferand, the artist heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, creates lots of possibilities for talking with readers. Book signings are all too often awkward affairs. The art show is fun and came about as an idea for the A to Z Blog Challenge. The paintings helped me, as the author, get to know Farrah much better than I did while writing her story.

The art show for my character makes me wonder about other unique ways to promote books. What is the profession of the hero or heroine? Or what hobby is important to a character to the book?

Thinking outside the box can produce a flurry of ideas for authors who struggle with book signings. Being your character and dressing the part is still one of the most fun things I've seen authors do.

"Looking at Farrah's Art Show" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Thanks to Arts Alive in West Point for the opportunity for Farrah's Art Show which will hang in the Art Center until October 13.




Fractal Art

For the past few weeks, my life has been consumed with art. At the Crossroads Art Center Open House last week, I was delighted to discover an artist showing across from me who is using fractal art in his creations. I have long loved fractals and used many of those images to inspire my elementary school art students. Mike Turner is putting his fractal images on metal which gives them a beautiful shiny look and depth. He also has printed some of his work on fabric, and his sister has created an array of beautiful neckties from the material. What a great idea!

"Lines in the Desert" Encaustic ©Mary Montague Sikes

"Lines in the Desert", my small encaustic painting, was inspired by a petite section of a fractal image. Other pieces of my art work are related to some of the fractals I've seen. 

I'm delighted to have discovered Mike Turner's work. 

Consistency for the Artist and the Author

"Cross in the Wind" mixed media 20"x16" ©Mary Montague Sikes

For the past several years, I have been following Jason Horejs and learning from him. Jason is an art gallery owner and a marketing guru. He has a mentorship program for artists and selects one each year to guide through the business of art. In his instruction about the business of art, he focuses not only on the quality of the art work, but also on the consistency.

When an artist is seeking gallery representation, consistency in the pieces of art presented is crucial. A collector should be able to recognize the work as that of the same artist, Jason explains. The art should be consistent in at least four out of five of these elements: subject, theme, style, palette, and medium.

The same, or similar issues, are true for an author. During my book signing on Sunday, I was frequently asked what my books were about. Although the subjects are different, they all have a similar theme - romance with a bit of mystery and suspense mixed in. They have the same author's voice - mine. All but one of the five novels displayed featured my own cover art. However, I have two different types of settings, the exotic destinations for the "Passenger to Paradise" series of books and the small, fictitious town of Jefferson City, Virginia for two others, including my latest novel, Evening of the Dragonfly. Straying from the original series might be a mistake unless the two kinds of books were written under two different names, which mine are not. I think of Nora Roberts and how she began writing books under the name, J. D. Robb, when she wanted to pen mysteries as well as romance.

I've been watching authors and believe that those with a series, featuring the same character or characters, appear to be the most successful. The consistency of characters develops a following, and readers anticipate with great excitement the next release. Also, having an unique business or hobby for the protagonist develops interest and a following.

For me, as an artist, I am in trouble. I'm all over the place with subject matter, style, theme, medium, and even palette. I love to paint tropical plant life in acrylics. For many years, I painted figures in oil, acrylics, and pastels. Encaustics, a completely different medium, fascinate me. I adore experimental paintings that use everything from watercolor to collage materials and acrylics plastered on with heavy-bodied mediums. I also paint landscapes with pastels and am working on a National Park series using that medium.

What to do? I have a large body of art work created in a variety of styles and mediums with differing subjects and themes. With so much work, I really need to sell it. To do so, I must be consistent. What style should I choose?

"Amy" acrylic 42" x 54" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Realism or abstract?

This is a huge dilemma.

Especially for me.

Thank you, Jason Horejs, for making me think!

Evening of the Dragonfly Art Show is on View in Richmond Virginia

The paintings created for Farrah Ferand, heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, are up at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond VA. The space can accommodate only 14 of the 19 watercolor and acrylic paintings, all made during April, but I am very happy with the way the show looks. In fact, "Far Fields", the large acrylic painting I've had hanging at the top of my gallery for several weeks, is enhanced by the colors of the new exhibit.

The show will be on view at Crossroads Art Center until July, possibly longer. Crossroads, 2016 Staples Mill Rd., is open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday hours are: Noon to 4 p.m.

Coming Events Memorial Day Weekend

Friday, May 22 - Book Signing, Evening of the Dragonfly, at West Point Pharmacy, West Point
Saturday, May 23, 1 - 4 p.m. - "Paris Picnic" - Prince George Art and Frame, Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg VA
                Gallery artists will paint in their own styles from a still-life setup
Sunday, May 24, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Book Signing, Evening of the Dragonfly, at the William and Mary Barnes and Noble, Duke of Gloucester Street, Williamsburg VA

A to Z Challenge Paintings

Paintings Awaiting Finishing Touches

The A to Z Challenge for April is over, and I now have 19 new paintings stacked or hanging in my studio, awaiting finishing touches. It was exciting to compete with myself to get a painting (or portions of several larger pieces) completed each day. Although I managed to paint around the sides of some of the works (all on canvas), I still have many with sides that need to be painted. Those are mostly the watercolors and the mixed water media pieces.

All of the work requires one or more coats of polymer finish. Of course, each piece also will need screw eyes and picture wired attached for hanging.

The show will be unveiled for the first time next Saturday when I have an exhibit for Farrah Ferand (my heroine) and a book signing for Evening of the Dragonfly. The event will be at Gloucester Arts on Main, Gloucester from 1 to 4 p.m.

I gained a few more followers during the Challenge, and I found some interesting people to follow. I also enjoyed the posts of bloggers I already followed. Having a new art show is a major reward.

Thanks to co-hosts: Alex Cavanaugh, Jeremy Hawkins, Nicole Ayers, Stephen Tremp, Heather M. Gardner, AJ, Pam, Matthew MacNish, Zalka Csenge Virág, S. L. Hennessy, C. Lee McKenzie, Joy Campbell, Susan Gourley, Lisa Buie-Collard, and John Holton. Also thanks to Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out who started the Challenge in 2010.

Art Speaks on the Bay Juried Show

"So Many Shells on the Beach", my watercolor painting, is part of the Art Speaks on the Bay Juried Show on view now at Mathews Bay School. The volunteers had a lovely reception last Saturday for the large turnout of visitors.

Art Speaks on the Bay opening reception

"So Many Shells on the Beach" (Top Painting)

"Z" is for Zenith - A to Z Challenge

"Stormy Skies" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Today is the last day of the A to Z Blog Challenge 2015, so I feel a little sad. It's been fun and productive for the heroine of my new book, Evening of the Dragonfly, to create an art show to go along with book signings. For Farrah Ferand, this exhibition will be the zenith of her young art career. She hopes there will be many more zeniths yet to come.

"Stormy Skies" is the last of 19 new paintings produced for Farrah's show, "The Awakening". It is a vibrant painting, full of life and new hope beneath a stormy sky, a symbol of her life in the past.

I hope the paintings created during the Challenge have inspired interest in Farrah Ferand and her story, Evening of the Dragonfly. During this month, I've learned a lot about Farrah that I didn't already know. I hope you've enjoyed following her art journey, but please note that the art on the book cover is mine, not Farrah's.

Today's painting, "Stormy Skies", is acrylic on stretched canvas, 36" x 18". It might be hung as part of a diptych.

Sedona diptych ©Mary Montague Sikes

    



                                                   

"Y" is for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow - A to Z Challenge

We are nearing the end of the A to Z Challenge which has brought new energy and more paintings to my studio. The art exhibition works for Farrah Ferand, the heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, are almost completed. Farrah's Show, planned to accompany some of my book signings, should be interesting. I need a title for it. Perhaps it should be "Farrah's Evening of the Dragonfly" or something less obvious. In the book, her show is called, "The Awakening".

For today's work, Farrah had a troublesome time.Yesterday, a painting that included the Chapel of the Holy Cross was planned and started. It simply did not work, so this morning, time was spent in paint overs and new beginnings. The resulting canvas is now a painting in progress that will be finished for the final posting tomorrow. Hopefully, it will work as a diptych with the first Sedona painting.

Although 19 paintings have been created, there is much more work to be done to have them all ready for a show. That's why "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" is so appropriate for the "Y" post. Once a painting is completed, the sides (if it's gallery-wrapped) must be painted or finished in some way. The watercolors need to be sprayed with workable fixative, then one or more coatings of a polymer finish will be applied. The acrylics must have a UV coating. Then, screws and wires need to be attached to the back. As you can see, to complete the project, several "tomorrows" will be involved.

What are your suggestions for a title for Farrah's exhibition? I would love to have ideas.

"Sedona 2" (detail) ©Mary Montague Sikes

This is not all of the canvas for today's painting, and the rocks will not be this orange in the finished piece. The total stretched, gallery-wrapped canvas is 36" x 18".

"X" is for X-Factor (Not TV) - A to Z Challenge

"Red Rock Country" ©Mary Montague Sikes

"X" is for X-Factor, and I don't mean the hit TV series. As an artist, I consider the X-Factor as something completely different. It is the incomprehensible element sometimes found in art we've come to love. I don't know what it is; I can't touch nor explain it, but when it's there you know it.

The X-Factor is the special element that Farrah Ferand, the heroine in Evening of the Dragonfly, is seeking in the final pieces of work she's completing for her art exhibition. "Red Rock Country" features Farrah's love for a place she's never seen. With juicy Golden fluid acrylic paints, she uses her Colorism technique to describe the beauty and serenity of the West. This painting is 36" x 18" and could become half of a diptych, if Farrah decides to go in that direction.

Yesterday, you saw a detail from this painting that was in an horizontal format. The completed painting is vertical. Which way do you like it better?

"W" is for Wonders of the World - A to Z Challenge

"Wonders of the World, Sedona AZ" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Throughout the month of April, Farrah Ferand, the heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, has painted her way into the reality of regressed memories. Using the imagery in her paintings, she has come to realize and understand elements from her past. Now, as she nears completion of her one-person art exhibition, Farrah is ready for new beginnings. Her last two paintings will be about wonders of her world.

Although Farrah has never traveled to the Southwest, she is intrigued by that part of our country. She once read the Zane Grey stories of the West, and she enjoys movies set there. The Red Rock country of Sedona, Arizona especially appeals to her. The final paintings for her show are joyful ones created with juicy Golden acrylic paints on stretched canvas. Today's art in her "Wonders of the World" is a detail from a Sedona painting she will finish for tomorrow. This work is 36" x 18".

(Sedona is one of my favorite destinations. For this project, as I looked through some of the photographs I've taken there, I felt a little homesick.)

If you have just joined this blog journey:
Evening of the Dragonfly is a novel set in the 1980s, a time less complicated than today. Farrah Ferand has a high school art teaching job in a small Virginia town. She meets Dirk Lawrence, a businessman from the city, who takes an interest in her and in her painting and is helping her build a studio over the garage in her rented home. Farrah is thrilled to have the studio because she has a one-person art exhibition scheduled. As she works on new paintings, Farrah realizes things about herself, her relationships, and the tragic loss of her mother. We encounter some of her realizations as new paintings and parts of painting are unveiled each day during the A to Z Challenge. My book is available in trade paperback and as an e-book.

"V" is for Vanished and Vanquished - A to Z Challenge

"The Vanished and the Vanquished" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Vanished and vanquished are "V" words for Farrah Ferand's exhibition painting challenge. Farrah is the heroine of  Evening of the Dragonfly, my romance with underlying psychodrama. As she paints, bits and pieces of her regressed memories resurface. Today's painting, "The Vanished and the Vanquished," is important in her memory recovery. Her mother's death occurred in a car driven into a lake near the country home in Mississippi where Farrah grew up. Her mother vanished and with that loss, much else was vanquished from her life.

One of the meanings of vanquish is "to gain mastery over" a passion, an emotion, a fear. As she paints for her one-person show, Farrah is vanquishing her fear of the unknown, her fear of the past, and much more.

"The Vanished and the Vanquished," mixed water media and pencil on canvas, 24" x 36", is one of the two largest paintings in Farrah's show. Those of you who really liked the details posted earlier from this painting might be disappointed at the changes. Layering colors and images makes a big difference in the final piece of art. Sometimes it's hard but necessary to make changes in the details of work you already love!

A lot is going on in this painting. See what the imagery means to you.

"U" is for Universe - A to Z Challenge

Painting in progress detail ©Mary Montague Sikes

"U" is for the Universe. What a vast meaning that covers.

"All space-time, matter, and energy, including the solar system, all stars and galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole" is a dictionary definition of universe.


"A sphere of interest, activity, or understanding" is another segment of the definition. That's the definition that pertains to Farrah Ferand, heroine of my novel, Evening of the Dragonfly. For her, at the moment, the universe is her studio where she creates new paintings and parts of new paintings everyday. 

Farrah's painting for today is a detail from the larger painting (24" x 36") that she started yesterday. As she paints and sprays Robert Doak watercolors, her past and her extended universe become clearer. Also, her relationship with her family and with Dirk Lawrence, the mysterious stranger she has grown to love grow clearer as well. 

Tomorrow the entire new painting will be revealed. I don't know yet how the colors and imagery will change, but they will. It will be an artwork in tribute to and memory of the Vanished.

"T" is for Trials and Tribulations - A to Z Challenge

Painting Detail ©Mary Montague Sikes

"The road of life is never without trials and tribulations." This is a quote from an unknown source. People can face trials and tribulations and learn from them or they can let the unfortunate episodes of life get them down. Some people choose happiness; others fall into despair. Attitude makes all the difference.

Farrah Ferand, the heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, has faced many trials and tribulations during her lifetime. She is learning from her trials and tribulations as she paints the work for her one person art show. The piece for today is a detail from her current painting that will be one of the largest in the show, 24" x 36". It's another watercolor on canvas using Robert Doak intense watercolors. The plan is for this painting to be completed by Saturday. So far, there is no name for the finished work, but creating it is helping Farrah overcome her trials and tribulations.

"S" is for Sunrise - A to Z Challenge

"Sunrise" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Today's painting is a change of page for Farrah Ferand, the heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly. Sunrise represents new beginnings for her. The dark of night is gone, and anything is possible with a new day. Farrah has brought lots of baggage with her for her new life in Virginia. As she paints her one-person exhibition work, she is creating the opportunity for new beginnings.

"Sunrise" is acrylic on a 20" x 16" stretched canvas. I have found that traveling between watercolor and acrylics for my mediums is more difficult than I expected. The two painting processes are quite different for me. I love the feel and the smell of my thick, juicy acrylic Golden fluid acrylics. I also enjoy the development of compositions as I spray the beautiful and intense colors of the Robert Doak watercolors. It's easier for me to work in one style for a period of time. Two years ago, I painted an animal a day, all working with acrylics except for one pastel painting on paper that I didn't like as well and later recreated in acrylic on canvas. That was an easier process.

For those of you who have just joined this blog journey:
Evening of the Dragonfly is a novel set in the 1980s, a time less complicated than today. Farrah Ferand has a high school art teaching job in a small Virginia town. She meets Dirk Lawrence, a businessman from the city, who takes an interest in her and in her painting and is helping her build a studio over the garage in her rented home. Farrah is thrilled to have the studio because she has a one-person art exhibition scheduled. As she works on new paintings, Farrah realizes things about herself, her relationships, and the tragic loss of her mother. We encounter some of her realizations as new paintings and parts of painting are unveiled each day during the A to Z Challenge. My book is available in trade paperback and as an e-book.

"R" is for Repressed Memories

"Repressed Memories" ©Mary Montague Sikes

The letter "R" was especially difficult for Farrah and me. I went through many different words while deciding what would work best for today's painting. I considered and discarded restoration, resolution, realistic, and many other possibilities. Eventually, I settled on "repressed memories" which is a theme difficult to convey in a painting. The darkest part of the story of Farrah Ferand, the heroine of Evening of the Dragonfly, is her journey to deal with repressed memories. Therefore, this is the darkest painting thus far in the series created for her one-person exhibition.

"Repressed Memories" features Robert Doak intense watercolors on canvas. It is 16 x 20 inches.

"Q" is for Quiet - A to Z Blog Challenge

"Quiet" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Farrah Ferand, the heroine of my novel, Evening of the Dragonfly, continues to work in her studio as she creates a series of paintings for her one-person show in the Richmond art gallery. For "Q" Farrah has returned to her Colorism-style, working with Golden fluid acrylic paints on canvas.

During a winter snowstorm, she enjoyed the quiet and serenity that settled over her street as snowflakes collected on the ground and in the trees. Growing up in Mississippi, Farrah had never before seen snow. Now, she needs to capture the feeling of quiet in her painting. The colors she selects create a lively "quiet" for her.

What do you think? Does Farrah's painting represent "quiet"?







For those of you who have just joined this blog journey:
Evening of the Dragonfly is a novel set in the 1980s, a time less complicated than today. Farrah Ferand has a high school art teaching job in a small Virginia town. She meets Dirk Lawrence, a businessman from the city, who takes an interest in her and in her painting and is helping her build a studio over the garage in her rented home. Farrah is thrilled to have the studio because she has a one-person art exhibition scheduled. As she works on new paintings, Farrah realizes things about herself, her relationships, and the tragic loss of her mother. We encounter some of her realizations as new paintings and parts of painting are unveiled each day during the A to Z Challenge. My book is available in trade paperback and as an e-book.

"P" is for Portal to Peace - A to Z Challenge

"Portal to Peace" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Portals have long fascinated me, and I often use them in my paintings. As a young child, Farrah Ferand, the main character in Evening of the Dragonfly, remembers overhearing a conversation between her mother and her grandfather. He told Martha Ferand about his belief that Earth was the war planet where souls come to fight. Her mother said that somewhere in the Universe there must be a "portal to peace". That thought stuck with the seven-year-old, and she transcribes the vision from her imagination into a painting for her one-person show. (Although this scene is not an actual one from the book, Farrah's back story makes her into the character she becomes in my novel.)

"Portal to Peace" is 20 x 16 inches, mixed water media on canvas. It's painting number twelve for the exhibition being created during the A to Z Challenge project.

"O" is for Optimism - A to Z Challenge

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” I love this quote from Winston Churchill.

Optimism.

When Farrah Ferand, my heroine from Evening of the Dragonfly, sees a dragonfly or groups of them, she feels optimism. Although they seem somehow connected to the death of her grandfather and then the death of her mother, she believes sighting of the dragonflies is like seeing the spirits of her departed loved ones.
They are a symbol of their love. They bring her optimism.

"Optimism" ©Mary Montague Sikes

Do you have symbols that bring you joy? Are you an optimist, or do you see pessimism in everything?