Friday, July 8, 2016

The Fabulous Artwork of Reina Cottier

 Dear Gentle Readers,

The best part of this time-consuming,  non-paying, techno-nightmare of a job is finding great new (or new to me) artists and authors and sharing them with our Vision and Verse family.  

One of these artists is the wonderfully talented Reina Cottier. Her work is mesmerizingly beautiful. It takes you to an ethereal kingdom of beautiful flowers and magical creatures. She has been a guest on Vision and Verse in the past.    

Reina, in her own words:



"I am a professional artist based in Tairua. New Zealand.
Born and raised in Aotearoa/New Zealand. I currently live in a coastal town, the majestic mountains on one side, a surf beach on the other.
I have been painting for about 7 years. I studied art right through school winning many awards, but gave it up to become a hairdresser, and have children eventually. After my kids were both at school I took up painting and found an avenue for expression that was previously undiscovered inside of me.
Right from the start I was drawn to, even obsessed with, painting themes strongly associated with different cultures, particularly Maori & Pacifica, along with sun, surf, nature. I found the koru was a prominent feature that emerged in almost all my paintings whether I consciously put it there or not. It became my feature symbol in most of my artworks, along with strong ‘ocean’ themes, which evolved into oceanic creatures, especially since moving to Tairua."





Links:
https://reinacottier.com

https://www.facebook.com/reinacottierart

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReinaCottierArt

Thursday, July 7, 2016

FREE Today! Madison's Christmas


Dear Gentle Readers,

Madison's Christmas, Book One in the Madison Rand trilogy, is FREE today. Madison Christmas has been on the Christmas Bestseller's list for three Christmas seasons. The second book in the series, Christmas at Star Lake, will be free later this month. And look for the third and final Madison Rand book to be out before Christmas.

Madison's Christmas is not just a Christmas story. it's the story of a young women dealing with grief and family issues while working in a complicated and dangerous career.

It's a short, fun read story of mistaken identity and angst during the holiday season. Check it out!

Link:
http://tinyurl.com/lys6yqj

Hugs,
Carol

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

The Art of Jim Gray




 Jim Gray.  Ever heard of him?  No?  Well, you should.  I was first drawn to the art of Jim Gray by his ship paintings.  I have always loved ocean and lighthouses, so that love naturally evolved to include sailing ships, though the only sailing ships I have ever been aboard, besides our little eight-foot Sunflower, were anchored securely in the harbor.




Jim Gray is a special kind of artist.  He is first and foremost an American adventurer, who records his experiences, not with the camera or a tape recorder, but with the canvas.  For over fifty years, he has allowed us to join in his adventures through his paintings.





Jim's first job was not the typical grocery store stocker or  newspaper delivery boy, but an illustrator for a loan company.  His good-natured humorous drawings drew in the customers.






During the Korean War, Jim was an electronics instructor and later a technical illustrator in the Air Force.  Afterward he moved back to Mobile, Alabama, where he worked at an illustrator for an ad agency.  In 1962, he and two partners opened their own ad agency.



In 1966, Jim and his family visited the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee and it was a life changing experience.  He moved to Tennessee, leaving behind a very successful business, allowing his creative spirit to explore and paint the beautiful countryside surrounding the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.




In 1968, Jim was featured in National Geographic, and the writer from NG was taken with Jim's enthusiasm and immense talent.  This article led to nationwide coverage in other magazines like American Artist and Southern Living.






When Carl Sagan was picking photos to be included on CD for the Voyager I and II missions, he chose one of Jim in his studio, painting a scene from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.



I claim no rights to anything here.  None of this is my own.  The list to the right is where I got my information on the talented Mr. Jim Gray, and I am including it for those who want to know more about him and view more of his works. 

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Interview with Author J.D.Cunegan


 J. D Cunegan
Hampton, VA
USA



Good morning, J.D., and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors. Tell us a little about what you've written.
The novels Bounty, Blood Ties, and Behind the Badge, which are the first three novels in my Jill Andersen mystery/thriller series.

What is your favorite genre to write? 
To this point, I’ve only written mysteries and thrillers, but my books also have elements of sci-fi and superhero in them. Future projects will cover fantasy, the supernatural, the occult, and perhaps some political thrillers as well.

Favorite food.   
I’m a sucker for chicken wings. I don’t know why, what elevates them over everything else, but that’s my weakness these days.

Tea or coffee? 
I love both, but a steaming mug of coffee really helps me kick off the day and get the writing juices flowing.

Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza – especially if there’s bacon on it.

Wine or beer? 
Beer; my alcohol tastes have always been simple.

Where would you like to visit? 
Either Las Vegas or Australia. I don’t know why, but those two places reach out to me.

Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write? What? System of a Down… I always listen to music when I write; I have to something going on in the background. I can’t write in silence. Sometimes, the heavier the music I’m listening to, the more of a groove I find myself in.


What makes you laugh? 
Really good stand-up comedy. A well-placed pop culture reference. Not so much comedy movies or comedy books, for some reason; those genres have never done much for me.

Favorite work of art or sculpture. Man, if I was still in college and studying art history, I’d have a better answer for this outside of “I don’t know.”


This is an author AND art website, so I'm obliged to ask. It's okay.
How old were you when you started writing? 
I was 11 years old and had just read my first comic book – an issue of X-Men from the Jim Lee-Chris Claremont era. Comic books triggered the creative spark inside me, and I’ve been writing in one form or another in the 23 years since.


Describe your perfect evening. 
At home, no responsibilities to take care of, nowhere to go… just me, my laptop, and either a mug of hot tea or a bottle of beer (depending on how the day went).

I understand. I do the cup of herbal tea or a wine bottle and a straw. Where do you get your inspiration? 
Anywhere and everywhere. There’s no telling when the spark might get lit. I was on my way to the office one morning last week, and since I was the first one there, the light in the hallway hadn’t been turned on yet – and the hall was pitch black. Voila! Short story idea. I get inspired a lot by the books I read and the TV shows and movies I like as well, but inspiration can hit me from just about anywhere.

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 
I read, because for me, writer’s block is nothing more than me growing tired of my own words… so getting lost in someone else’s words for a little while always does the trick.

Who is your favorite author?
Best book you ever read. 
Oh, wow… umm… there was a huge X-Men crossover event in the late 1990s called Age of Apocalypse… this might not be what you were thinking with this question, but that storyline is easily one of the best, most memorable things I have ever read.

Last book you read. 
Armada by Ernest Cline. It wasn’t Ready Player One, but it was still really good.

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer? 
Technically, writing is my day job; I work in public relations for a small private university, covering the school’s athletic programs. Before that, I was a sports reporter for a local newspaper, so even when I’m not writing one of my books or other stories, I’m still writing.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My sister Kat. She’s not actually my sister – I’m actually an only child – but we’ve been such close friends for so long that we consider each other brother and sister. She’s been the one constant in my life since middle school, and she’s been there for all of the ups and downs of my life. I can’t imagine where I would be, creatively or otherwise, without her.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why? 
Stan Lee, so I can thank him for his role in creating so many of the comic book medium’s most famous and fantastic characters; it’s because of comic books that I got into writing in the first place, and I hate to think where my life would be without that.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? 
The only way to improve as a writer is to write. Just sit down and do it. Writing is simultaneously the easiest and most difficult thing to do, but doing it is the only way to get better. Don’t forget to read, either; reading will enrich your writing in ways nothing else can.

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

Twitter: @JD_Cunegan
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.D.-Cunegan/e/B00YNTP4S2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1433567933&sr=8-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14050436.J_D_Cunegan

Monday, July 4, 2016

Happy Fourth of July!



Amid the turmoil of modern life and the sensationalism in the news, both live and in print, let us not forget how lucky we Americans are to live in a country where we are free. The prevalence of complaining and whining about how bad things are and how stupid and crooked everybody else is seems to get so much more coverage these days than dwelling, even momentarily, on the wisdom of our forefathers and all the good things about our country. 

This freedom we enjoy today was paid for by our fathers, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, and cousins, some with their time, skill, and energy, some with their blood and sweat, and some with their very lives. 

So as you celebrate the Fourth with fireworks, picnic food, and red, white, and blue jello shots, I wish you a happy and safe holiday. I wish you continued freedom of choice and freedom from tyranny and oppression. I wish you continued success in all your endeavors. And if you're not feeling all that successful, I hope you fall into a giant pile of good luck and get up feeling lucky and grateful to be alive.

Life is short, my darlings, and so am I.

Hugs,
Carol

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Schedule for July 4 through July 8, 2016



Mon., July 4        Holiday Note from Carol
Tues., July 5        Interview with Author J.D. Cunegan
Wed.,  July 6       The Art of Jim Gray
Thurs.,July 7       Madison's Christmas is FREE Today
Fri., July 8           The Fabulous Artwork of Reina Cottier