The Long Learning Process by Marcia Dutton

It has occurred to me how alike writing is to painting, or anything else creative. There is a long learning process. I am just beginning to learn something about writing since I joined BWG. It reminds me of when I first started learning to paint. I was in a watercolor workshop in Italy with some very advanced and even some professional artists. Like most writers, they were warm, kind and encouraging, as bad as I was. When we were being roasted at the end of our stay, it was remarked that I actually did quite well in spite of my one-haired brush. Artists in both mediums are interesting, giving and invigorating to be with. I feel very fortunate to be among them.

I have multiple interests and was never what one would classify as a dedicated artist. Therefore, it took me years of practice, reading, art classes, and many workshops to have arrived at the point I am now in painting. When it comes to writing, I can’t help but wonder if I have enough years ahead of me to attain a semblance of where the rest of you are. Will I be able to sit that long at a computer without getting the resulting side effects?

If I can learn the fundamentals of writing and present day grammar and style, I think I can come up with some decent memoirs considering the many experiences I have had living abroad for twenty-five years. Being too left brained, I paint well what I can see, be it from still-life, from photos, landscapes from plein aire, or my forte, portraits. Not as creative, I lack the imagination to paint abstracts or from my mind. Likewise to write fiction like many of you do, I would be at a loss.

Award-winninng artist Marcia Dutton is creating a book of memoirs about her days in the U.S. Navy and her many adventures abroad. She is a dedicated member of BWG Thursday Critique group, and her paintings can be viewed at Gallery By The Lake.