DOOTSY DOODLES

DOOTSY DOODLES

Autumn usually peeks in during the first or second week of August long enough to stick its tongue out and leave for a few weeks. This time it cackled at us in mid-July although summer continues with no colours turned and temperatures still around 30 Celsius. Let’s enjoy the hum-roar of early morning traffic and the whir of air conditioner into the hot afternoons while we hope fall won’t come back. Or maybe get lost. Or something.

BOOKS

WHEN AGAIN THIS WAY I WALK
lindagigliottiwriter.com – Linda M. Gigliotti’s writings:

The lives of 1870’s Julia and modern Andie touch as each in her own time faces relational issues common across the ages as times change and people do not.

Reviews

Linda Gigliotti’s novel, When Again This Way I Walk, invites readers into the lives of two families, living in the same location but a century apart. The dual-timeline story begins when Andie gazes into the forest and experiences a life-like vision of a woman and girl of previous time. Throughout the story, we follow Andie, her family, and the choices and decisions each must make and the parallel issues that Julia and her family cope with. With touches of mystery and illusion, Gigliotti deftly alternates between eras to reveal how the lives and issues of these two women, and perhaps all of us time unto time, face similar challenges, experience the same joys, and struggle to discover our deepest truths (Judy Reeves).

-Judy Reeves is the author of Wild Women, Wild Voices: writing from your authentic wildness and A Writer’s Book of Days.

I had the privilege to be one of the first readers of Linda’s novel and from the first page I was drawn into the story and felt as if I was part of it, thanks to Linda’s extraordinary way of describing the scenery and the characters. A beautiful story about life, love, family, traditions and friendship with a twist of mystery and suspense. Linda sends you on a journey between the past and the present, reminding you that life is about being curious and courageous.

• Tina Mundelsee is author of Yoga Coaching: use your practice to resolve emotional baggage, master your mind & create harmony in your life & relationship and Think Happy, Be Happy – A Yoga Coaching Pocket Guide. As well Tina is life coach at www.tinastools.com

HOWMASTER: THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO BEAUTIFUL WORD CRAFTING – Revised Edition lindagigliottiwriter.com – Linda M. Gigliotti’s writings

OTHER GREAT READS

Check out Judy Reeves’ new memoir WHEN YOUR HEART SAYS GO (She Writes Press 2024)and others at

https://www.judyreeveswriter.com/ . Judy also wrote Wild Women, Wild Voices (NWL 2015), a book for those of us who must write and do it well. Check out Judy’s A Writer’s Book of Days (NWL 1999) for some great daily writing prompts.

NOTEBOOK SAYS

The Power of Notebook Entries

My more arrogant days had me believe memory would serve

my writing as well as it does for what you said to me the

evening of October 14, 1956. Not. Right away two huge

observations cackled at me. The first is that as soon as you get busy your brain brings the task at hand to the fore and

everything else gets pushed to incidental. The second issue is that having an acute memory serves no one because others won’t believe us anyway. Just try and convince someone they really did say or do a thing on that day beyond their remembrance and see what happens. Write ideas down. Carry a pocket size notepad, the kind with no hard cover and curly wireto stick you in the eye every time you look down. Ideas happen all the time but there’s only so much the brain can hold so we have to take notes. Now all I have to do is explain to the income tax people what those squiggles are on the back of the form. Everything has story value. You might have to stand on your head to view life and then write exactly what you see. Record details the way they happen and that moment stays alive in the pages of your notebook or journal ( HowMaster, 15).

Prompts:

• 5 Write about lying on the beach. You fall asleep and wake with the sun in your face. Everyone is gone. You check your watch and see that it is only 1:45 PM.

• You leave early for your early morning walk. You get home and the door is open. Then you hear a loud crash from the kitchen.
• You’re asleep in the empty house when the sound wakes you. The shuffling comes towards you.

• Write a short story entitled The Day the Lilies Wept.

ART CORNER

A friend blessed me with oil pastels. She says she doesn’t want the kids writing with those on walls and floors and knew I probably would avoid that. She hasn’t known me that long.

Then I had to find the right kind of paper since the coarseness of watercolour pages left a lot of tiny squares all over the work. Next I tried a pad of paper with gesso. To be truthful I did not read the cover so I ended up with something I hope I can donate. In a bit of a snit I tried my sketchbook and was rewarded with beautiful intense colour. As well I found it comforting to move the pastel across the page and watch those gorgeous shades happen.

It blew me off my chair when I found I can replicate. First I take a picture and then go to my sketchbook and copy it with pencil while I look back and forth between that and the photo. Then I prop the sketchbook in front of me and get out the watercolour paper where I copy my drawing with brush and watercolour. That system works Every. Single. Time. Inasmuch as I prefer atmospheric works to realism the actions of brain and hand know where to place what I paint before it goes atmospheric.

OTHER GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT

Nicholas Wilton is a master in his teachings about colour and the way your art reflects your soul. Look through his site and sign up for his Sunday Vlog. Art2Life Artists | Facebook and https://www.art2life.com

Check out Karen Abend’s art community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SketchbookRevival and sign up for her great newsletters.

Don’t miss https://doodlewash.com/ with Charlie O’Shields, of Creator Doodlewash®, founder of World Watercolor Month™ (July), World Watercolor Group on Facebook, and author of the Sketching Stuff™ books.

Until next month,

Linda Gigliotti

Books