An A-Musing Journey

Forgive me the punning headline – I simple couldn’t resist. But this is the only way to describe my recent trip to Montreal to view the John Williams Waterhouse exhibit at Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal. As readers of my last blog entry know, I’ve been in need of serious muse time for my new books-under-way. So I took what Artist’s Way author Julia Cameron would call “an artist’s date”.

This was the first major exhibition of this late Pre-Raphaelite artist, as well as its only North American presentation. And a plot point in my new novel is oriented around the Lady of Shalott. And Montreal is one of my favorite cities. How could I resist?

So I took a weekend alone — my first away from my daughter since her birth — to travel up to Montreal in the dead of winter. Though I considered inviting a friend along, I decided that inspiration might strike more cleanly if I was traveling solo. To facilitate it, I even brought my laptop with me, so I could write during the eleven-plus hour train trip from New York. And I did.

I had forgotten that Waterhouse had created three versions of the Lady of Shalott. I was greeted by one of them as I walked past the museum gift shop.

And there was this behemoth draped over the entryway. Plus lots of displays inside. Alas, no photography allowed within the exhibit itself.

Inside the museum, all three versions were shown together for the first time, set within the centerpiece room of the exhibit. Nearby, Waterhouse’s personal copy of Tennyson’s poems was displayed. He’d drawn on every page, probably to record inspiration before it flitted away. Some of these intimate pencil sketches eventually were transformed into the magnificent paintings on view.

I was fortunately in time for the guided tour, which offered much that I did not know about Waterhouse. For example, he was the son of painters; his wife was also a flower painter. Alas, none of his journals or letters survived his death — the tour guide conjectured that his wife destroyed them — so not much is known about him.

Here’s more information, courtesy of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts:

In his search to rediscover the beauty of the medieval world, Waterhouse also found inspiration in classical literature and mythology. Often associated with the Pre-Raphaelites, who aimed to recapture the beauty and simplicity of the medieval world, Waterhouse was also a classical painter. The exhibition will show how Waterhouse’s paintings reflect his engagement with contemporary themes like medievalism, classical heritage, spiritualism and the femme fatale. Born the year the Pre-Raphaelites first exhibited at the Royal Academy, he inherited their taste for Alfred Tennyson, John Keats and William Shakespeare and was fascinated by beauty, the underworld and myths of enchantresses. His paintings reveal a romantic fascination for female passions: among his subjects are the Lady of Shalott, Cleopatra, Circe, Lamia, the Sirens tormenting Ulysses, and Mariamne condemned to death. Inspired by Romantic literature, he also drew from classical myth as interpreted by Homer and Ovid.”

With little else to go on, we’re forced to learn about Waterhouse through his art, rather than through his biography. (In a way, isn’t that the way it should be?) Once the tour was over, I spent several hours in the exhibit, going through it in detail. The overall impression I was left with was of a man who was passionate about mythology, beauty, and women. He was also fond of scattering numerous mystical symbols in his paintings. For example, he often used circles within overlapping circles; objects often number seven (as in seven crows or seven sirens). From this evidence, some believe that Waterhouse may have been involved with the popular spiritualist movement, one reason his wife may have destroyed his letters.

Alas, the exhibit closes this weekend. All the Ladies of Shalotts will depart back to their respective homes, probably never to meet again in one room — at least in my lifetime.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have had my encounter with them.

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On a somewhat unrelated note, it’s now February — and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! With the help of my friend and publicity assistant Diane Saarinen, I’ve put together an amazing week of what I think is our most romantic content yet. Just call it the most romantic week on the blogosphere!

From February 8th through 12th, I’ll be joined on this blog by the beloved best-selling author Sandra Gulland (Mistress of the Sun), urban shaman Donna Henes (Queen of My Self), tarotist extraordinaire Ruth Ann Amberstone (The Secret Language of  Tarot), and acclaimed historian Holly Tucker (Wonders and Marvels, Blood Work) for a week of love-themed posts and special giveaways. The daily giveaways will include autographed romance-inspiring books, Amor art prints, and free downloads of the Love Tarot app. To be entered to win, all you have to do is comment. Easy-peasy.

Also on tap: A Valentine’s edition of our popular Tarot Salon. This takes place on February 12 starting at 7:30 pm at my studio-gallery; this month I’ll be joined by Donna Henes, Golda Poretsky, and Fran Dunston. For more information and to view other events and workshops, click here for our events page.

So I hope to see you here — and/or there!

• Filed under be-mused, creativity, giveaways and raffles, iPhone apps, lover's path, new projects, the art world, the world around me, travels | 6 Responses

Hibernating with the Muses

Ever noticed how years seem to take on themes? Here’s a quick look at mine (at least in regards to my business):

~ 2008 was a year of expansion for me. After a whirlwind of hard work, DOOMED QUEENS came out, received a lot of attention and even won a rave New Yorker review. I moved my work studio into a commercial storefront that would double as a gallery. As you can imagine, this was a big change after several years working from a windowless 7 x 9 foot hallway in my apartment.

~ 2009 was the year I solidified my business within my community (both local and global), to create a stronger platform for future growth and security. My studio began to offer events, workshops, and art exhibitions for adults and children. To  help me, I hired a part time studio assistant and publicity person. I created and sold four card decks, two which for DOOMED QUEENS. I made the big leap into digital publishing with iPhone apps. I also set up an art licensing site and created promotional videos for my books and much more.

Though I did begin work on the New Book follow up to DOOMED QUEENS, it felt as though business-related projects took precedence. In retrospect, I think much of this work activity was my response to the transformation of publishing as it lurches into the digital age.

Brave new world indeed!

~ * ~ * ~

And now it’s 2010. (How did that happen?) Just over two weeks into this new decade, I sense that 2010 is turning into a year where creativity will take the lead — at least for now.

No doubt this is in reaction to all I did in 2008 and 2009. Much as I love everything I worked on during these years, I’m feeling the need for serious muse time — time when I can just be creative and see where it takes me, rather than worry about deadlines or bottom lines. Time to allow myself to replenish my well, so I can grow as an author and artist.

I experienced some of this creative freedom with my participation in November’s NaNoWriMo, in which I wrote a very rough 50,000 words first draft of a novel. It whetted my appetite for more hibernation with the Muses. Fortunately, I think/hope that I’ve set up enough of a healthy business structure that I can allow myself this necessary luxury — at least for a little while.

So in the coming weeks, I’ll be focusing on writing two new books, including revising my NaNoWriMo novel (which has become a bit of an obsession, in the best sense of the word). I’ll also be researching history and other things to inspire me along my way. I’m even planning travels to places that will feed my creativity — Montreal this month, London in the summer.

To celebrate the start of this new cycle, I’ve even bought a new work table. It’s large enough for me to grow into.

New work table, ready for action!

• Filed under be-mused, creativity, new projects, travels | 4 Responses

What they don’t tell you about creating a tarot deck

I’m back from the West Coast — and have been greeted by a “to do” list that feels longer than my vacation. (Isn’t that always the way?) Nonetheless, The Goddess Tarot app blog tour continues anon.

Today, I have a guest post over at The Tarot Dame which is all about tarot deck creation. Oh, and there’s a giveaway too. I hope you’ll take a moment to check it out.

Once I have a chance to catch up (and catch my breath), there will be some new posts coming here. Really. This summer has been a particularly travel-intense one. I’m still waiting for my spirit to catch up with my body, if you know what I mean.

• Filed under giveaways and raffles, goddesses, publications, tarot and oracles, travels | One Response

Publishing Monday: Women of Wisdom book winner

Drumroll please! Here is the winner of Kris Steinnes’ Women of Wisdom anthology:

Congratulations to Mitzi! Mitzi wrote in her comment:

Thanks for the wonderful interview – the book sounds quite good as do the ones to follow it! Looking forward to all three of them. It’s great to know about the WOW conference too – please come to the Midwest!”

Mitzi, please e-mail me at kris [at] kriswaldherr dot com — I’ll arrange for your book to be shipped to you pronto. I hope it brings you much inspiration! And thanks again to Kris Steinnes for a throught-provoking interview and for offering the book giveaway.

If you haven’t read the interview yet, check it out here. Make certain to read the comments — they’re really beautiful. Want to know more? Learn more about Kris’s Women of Wisdom foundation here and her new book here.

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As I wrote yesterday, I’m traveling with my family on the west coast right now. Nonetheless, I’m virtually visiting Arwen Lynch’s tarot blog today, as the first stop on The Goddess Tarot app blog tour. I’ve written a post about tarot in the digital age — I hope you’ll stop by to comment! On top of that, we’ll be offering a giveaway.

(It’s just all giveaways all the time these days!)

• Filed under blogs we read, friends and colleagues, giveaways and raffles, goddesses, publications, tarot and oracles, travels | 4 Responses

Reminder: Next Tarot Salon is in July

It’s almost the last Friday of the month, which is when we traditionally hold our tarot salons at the gallery—but not this month. Just in case, I thought I should remind everyone that I’m currently in Europe eating baguettes and struggling with a foreign language while chasing a four-year-old.

So no tarot salon this month, alas.

Instead, we’ll be skipping June and progressing directly to July. (Do not pass go, do not collect $200….) I’ll post the date for July’s tarot salon when I’m back in Brooklyn next week! I’m fairly certain that psychic Christina Ambrosino and urban shaman Mama Donna Henes will be participating.

If we get really lucky, we’ll even have a masseuse, and maybe I’ll break out the absinthe. Imported, of course.

• Filed under events, studio and gallery, tarot and oracles, travels | 2 Responses