Introducing "Ontario"

For today’s post I wanted to show you a bit of Ontario’s world – her art class. One of Ontario’s favorite things to do is draw or paint. Art is her emotional outlet and it means a lot to her. Here’s part of a scene when Ontario is in her art class at school. Her teacher has just introduced a new exercise where the students hear short bits of music and in a small amount of time each person tries to depict what the song is saying to them:

We waited in anticipation for the music to start, and when it did we all laughed, including Mrs. Wheeler. It was the theme song from American Idol.

      “Well, get to it!” Mrs. Wheeler said, and we all began. Most of didn’t get very far since the opening song was only about thirty seconds long, but we all obediently got to work. The next song was Poker Face by Lady Gaga, which again brought some laughs and also some moans. Next was the school fight song, Stairway to Heaven, and the National Anthem.

      Silently we painted away, song after song. I enjoyed the activity very much and I really tried hard to paint what my own emotions were telling me, not what the words were saying. The last song that played was Blue Suede Shoes, by Elvis Presley.

      “Really?” I said, out loud accidentally. I got several weird looks from people and hurriedly turned back to my work. I tried hard to think of something other than Austin, but that was definitely where my emotions were taking me so I gave in and started painting, trying to depict the way that he danced. This time I really got lost in the music and just let it guide my hand.

      “Alright!” Mrs. Wheeler said as the song ended. She stood up and turned off the CD player. “What did you come up with?” She looked around excitedly.  “Who wants to share what they drew for the first song? Is there anyone who drew something other than a singer?” she asked with a laugh.

      To our surprise a hand shot up in the back. It was Chad, a tall and gangly guy.

      “Okay Chad, what did American Idol say to you?” Mrs. Wheeler asked with a smile. Chad held up his picture and we laughed. He had painted stick figures of a man and a young girl fighting over a remote.

      “Would you care to explain?” Mrs. Wheeler asked.

      “It’s my Dad and little sister,” Chad said. “Every time it comes on my Dad tries to change it and my sister throws a royal fit.”

      “Very nice,” said Mrs. Wheeler and we clapped.

      “Alright, what about Lady Gaga?”

      This time several hands shot into the air so Mrs. Wheeler let them all share. We laughed at the various pictures we saw, including one that showed Lady Gaga holding I sign that said “I’m insane and I know it” and another that showed the creator at a concert freaking out.

To learn more about Ontario and her story, buy the book today, now available on Amazon in Paperback and Kindle formats!

Author Bio

Heidi Nicole Bird has been writing for as long as she can remember and it is her favorite thing in the world. Heidi is a regular NaNoWriMo participant and is mostly a young adult fantasy writer, but also likes to write juvenile fiction and other genres. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Brigham Young University and she looks forward to exploring the genre of historical fiction. Heidi lives in Utah with her family and three dogs, and loves working from home as a full time writer.

Also by Heidi Nicole Bird, Through the Paper Wall

http://www.amazon.com/Through-the-Paper-Wall-ebook/dp/B00BF1MNT4

Links:                

www.facebook.com/HeidiNicoleBird

www.twitter.com/HeidiNicoleBird             

http://heidinicolebird.blogspot.com/

Links to Ontario:                                                                      

Paperback                                       Kindle Store

Ontario on Goodreads

Travels with a Blue Vase

For as long as I can remember I have loved to travel. My father traveled in
his work and frequently took us along. My mother said I was born with the
“go” gene. I also loved to draw. I was the one who drew pictures of Mickey
Mouse for my friends, the one the teacher called on for bulletin boards.
Even though my first love was art, I studied nursing in college. These were
the turbulent Kennedy years, and a bomb shelter had been built next door.
Later, when my children were in school, l wanted to be home on holidays
and summer vacations so I returned to school and became certified to
teach art.
When I began, I longed to go where they great artists had gone, lived and
painted. In 1994 I had a chance to go to Provence in the south of France to
paint. I visited the studios of Monet, Cezanne and Renoir, the scenes
painted by Van Gogh and Matisse as well. I took with me a blue plastic
vase so I could enjoy fresh flowers in my room. Sometimes it got into my
pictures. I filled a sketchbook, and I was hooked. Each winter I saved my
pennies, and every other summer I traveled and painted.
Many years and multiple sketchbooks later, I sat beside a lady from London
on the plane. She looked at my sketchbooks, noticed the blue vase and
suggested I put them all together in a book and call it Travels with a Blue
Vase. I had my title.
I decided to narrow the scope of my various travels to the Mediterranean
area: Provence, Italy and Greece. Because I am a foodie and love to paint
food, I included illustrated recipes from those countries.
Shortly after I began, I lost my daughter. I had retired from teaching to care
for her at home so I was at loose ends. I volunteered to do art with several
special needs groups, but it wasn’t enough. Putting together this book gave
me a focus, a reason for being. I relived each place I had been when I
made these sketches, and it made me happy.
When it was finished, I combed the bookshelves of stores and libraries to
find similar books and their publishers. I talked to authors and editors
before I sent a proposal to two of them. After six months I had two very nice
Travels with a Blue Vase
rejection letters so I decided to publish it myself. After all, our lives are
getting shorter every day.
Travels with a Blue Vase: A Mostly Mediterranean Sketchbook has
done very well. I’m not looking to become rich or famous - I’d just like to
share the beauty I see around me and the gift from God I’ve been given.
A second book came easily as I learned the modern technology of
computers. I called it More Travels with a Blue Vase: Paris and Beyond.
Currently I’m working on a third in the series. It encompasses England,
Scotland, Ireland and Wales. I have much of it done. I just need to take one
more trip...

Mary Ann Miller
Member of www.NLAPW.org, Jacksonville branch
Her book is available on her website and also at the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville, Fl

PAINT-PROCESS-LIFE

 
PAINT-PROCESS-LIFE
Painting one’s life is like telling a story through paint.
As life emerges through channels of color the awareness of its origin is waiting to be discovered.
Paint curves and delves down into the soul's crevices to reveal reality that is hidden there.
Paint moves into the spaces occupying forms and allows an image to appear.
Paint pulls at the edges to bring forth a thought and it can be beautiful and it can be ominous and
it can be layered over to create reality.
Painting abstract reality is simply layering ones thoughts. Colors are thoughts, and time within a
color can create nuances of an idea realized.
Paint creeps into crevices and a surprise element of light may appear.
Paint can add a dimension of one's own self to skate along the surface and be absorbed into an
edge.
Paint can reveal what is beyond an edge and crash into a color revealing solitude.
Painting color into color frees ones’ inhibitions about life, giving us a freedom to
express a revelation onto canvas.
From the Artist’s Book:
PAINT IT! TEAR IT! CREATE IT!
The Art of Collage and the Evolution of a Painting
A work in progress written and illustrated by Linda Bigness
www.bignessart.com