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| Aspens' Edge - Oil Painting - by Michael Lindstrom |
Last Friday night my husband had his debut art show at the gallery where he is represented - it was a huge success. One of the things I overheard from a person perusing the art was:
"He uses so much paint...lots of textures and layers." That person was absolutely correct. It is something that Michael does consciously - the technique has become a bit of his trademark.
Using textures and layers is not a technique exclusive to oil painters. I have had many in-depth discussions with my middle son - Kevin (an aspiring author), about this very subject with regard to our individual manuscripts. Somewhere between revising and editing is that place where a writer textures and layers his/her story. You know what I mean: Tweaking word choices, embellishing character development, expanding a setting description, polishing the text, and on and on.
The thing about texturing and layering is that it takes a lot of time!
One of the things that I have recently vowed to avoid is to place a time limit on a finished manuscript. Up until the time I fully began to value the texturing and layering approach, my feeling was X amount of hours writing would = a set time for completing my manuscript. Wrong!
As with any form of art, the process should flow from one's spirit, it is the revelation of one's soul - whether it is on a canvas, a sheet of music, or a page from a novel.
If you and I are Facebook friends then you are well aware of the inspiring quotes I like to feature on my timeline. Those posts are not chosen randomly. They are just as much for me as they are for my friends!
"The process of writing a book is infinitely more important than the book that is completed as a result of the writing, let alone the success or failure that book may have after it is written...the book is merely a symbol of the writing. In writing the book I am living. I am growing. I am tapping myself. I am changing. The process is the product."
Theodore Isaac Rubin
Do you texture & layer? Any thoughts about the writing process?
