I’m delighted to welcome back, poet, Karen Pierce Gonzalez to Patricia’s Pen. Karen is also an artist and today she’s here to discuss her artwork. You’re going to love it!

Karen’s Artwork

Karen Pierce Gonzalez

For this blog, I decided to focus on only one of the natural elements I work with.

I’m not a trained artist. My artwork is an intuitive conversation I often have with elements of the natural world. The result of this interplay with whatever I discover when outdoors is always a surprise because the journeys we take together are not scripted. I really don’t knowwhat the outcome will be.

The walnuts, similar to most of the other tree-related art I make are what remains. As shown in the group photograph, they’re what’s been left behind after serving their primary purpose (tasty inner meat for crows and squirrels).

How they start

I find them along The Laguna de Santa Rosa path, near where I live in the North San Francisco Bay Area. This particular one-mile strip of packed earth is a favorite spot for local walkers, joggers, and bicyclists. What that means for the walnut shells is that they are often further fractured by human traffic.

Walnut

The fragments I bring home dry in sunlight streaming in from my studio’s south facing window. : Like so many other aspects of my life, where I have learned to ‘make do’ with what I have at hand, I dialogue with these walnuts using a limited supply of art materials.

When I am ready to begin working with them, I always reach for whichever color I am drawn to. I experience this as a sensation of being thirsty for a particular shade or hue. Usually I start with a standard colored pencil then move onto watercolor based pencils, then perhaps onto glitter or thin sticks of oil pastel for texture.

Shell half-life

Over time, and because I have collected a whole tray of these bits  in various shapes and sizes, I began to explore with other materials, such as  ink tense and metallic pencils which, I discovered, offer deep degrees of color, and acrylic paints which can add another dimension of texture.

However, what matters the most to me is the joy I feel when creating these pieces. Partly because I am always in awe of how the colors highlight certain cavernous qualities otherwise unnoticed, but also because I can make something ‘broken’ whole, and beautiful beyond my expectations.

Basically, the final piece is a collaboration, a give and take in which the shells take in color and give back a new level of being, a new life.

After the Feast

These are small, ranging in size from .75 to 1.5 inches (1.90 – 3.81 cm) in height. And, as such, it is difficult to show them in galleries as I have larger works of found nature, etc. So I  photograph them and share them in on my website and related websites like the National Arts Program (USA) and on social media platforms. This year I plan to also submit them to literary journals where I hope they’ll be as well-received as my pine cone and bark pieces have been.

Still in the Sea

About Karen Pierce Gonzalez

Karen Pierce Gonzalez’s visual artistry focuses primarily on assemblage art from elements found in nature. To date, 50+ of her art images, including six cover images, have been or are scheduled to be published in a range of literary journals/magazines. In March her larger textile-related pieces will be on display at the Vallejo Museum and in April she has been invited to share 31 of her art pieces in The Wombwell Rainbow’s National Poetry Month Ekphrastic Challenge.

An award-winning writer, Karen’s work has appeared in numerous print and online publications, radio, and podcasts. Her chapbooks include Coyote in the Basket of My Ribs (Kelsay Books), True North and Sightings from a Star Wheel (Origami Poems Project), and forthcoming Down River with Li Po (Black Cat Poetry Press). Details of a fifth collection are currently under discussion with a North American publisher.

Find out more about Karen’s art and writing over on her website HERE

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January was a full on month for guest features on Patricia’s Pen. Here are the links again for all features in the event you missed them, or you might like to read them all over again.

Poet Julian Day kicked off the new year on 9th January 2024 with his poetry feature. Go HERE

Next up in line was author Mary L Schmidt chatting about her new release. Go HERE

Patricia’s Pen’s first artist feature came from Giuseppina Brandi. Go HERE

And to complete the month Patricia’s Pen returned to poetry with Corinna Board blogging about her new release. Go HERE

February is another full on month with two features from artists, an author discussing her latest novel release, and a poet chatting about his new poetry collection. Why not subscribe to the blog so you never miss a post?

February Guest Features

6th February 2024 – Karen Pierce Gonzalez (Artist Feature)

13th February 2024 – Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad (Artist Feature)

20th February 2024 – Lisette Brodey (Author)

27th February 2024 – A R Williams (Poet)

Did you know that all my novels are available to read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited? Or you can buy on Kindle or in Paperback.

You can find out more about them HERE – UK HERE – (.com) or if you don’t like ordering from Amazon the paperback can be ordered via any bookstore. Haven’t got any funds? Check with your local library and ask them to order my books in.

My poetry books published by The Hedgehog Poetry Press, available from my website shop, are signed limited editions. They can be purchased via Amazon but the quality isn’t the same. The poetry books may also be ordered in bookstores or via your local library.

White Wings Books Online Shop

I’m delighted to welcome Corinna Board, a fellow tree poet, to Patricia’s Pen. Corinna is celebrating the release of her new poetry pamphlet, Arboreal, published with Black Cat Poetry Press. Without further ado it’s over to Corinna.

My Writing

Corinna Board

I fell in love with poetry after reading Sylvia Plath at school. I didn’t really understand the poems at the time, but I was intrigued and fascinated. I wrote quite a few poems as a teen, but (luckily?) none of them survived. Then I moved to Paris at the age of 19, and life got in the way, as it often does. I started writing poetry again in 2021 and reading as much as I could.

The seeds for Arboreal were planted during a free Ginkgo Prize Zoom workshop called ‘In Praise of Trees,’ which was facilitated by Seán Hewitt. I had just read Tongues of Fire and was really excited to attend. I remember my Wi-Fi played up, and I couldn’t get back into the Zoom call because it was full! Luckily, a recording was made available afterwards. I worked through the writing exercises and found myself with a bunch of drafts. These poems formed the foundations for my pamphlet, and for months I couldn’t stop writing about trees, I became a bit obsessed with them! At this point, I also realised that I really wanted to focus on eco-poetry.

Inspiration for Arboreal was often found inspiration on weekend walks through the fields and along the bridleways and footpaths surrounding the village where I grew up in The Cotswolds. I spent most of my childhood on my grandparents’ farm, so those memories also naturally wove their way into some of the poems (they’re not all about trees).

My writing process varies and depends mainly on me having enough time! Lines of poems tend to come out of nowhere at the most awkward moments. My favourite way to begin a draft is in one of my trusty A4 kraft notebooks, but sometimes I make notes on my phone. I recently tried speech-to-text on a walk through a field on a windy day and ended up with some very odd stuff…

When I can, I sit outside to write. I recall sitting on a fallen oak trunk in a patch of woodland to write snippets of one of the poems in my pamphlet. Sometimes you need to see, hear, smell and touch things to translate them into words. Many trees were hugged in the process, and I don’t regret it one bit! I also drew on mythology, fairy tales and art for inspiration.

Going forward, I’d love to concentrate more on giving a voice to the more-than-human in a respectful, as authentic as possible, way. One of my favourite poets, Jane Burn, does this marvellously, and she was kind enough to write the blurb for Arboreal. Writing about the natural world is a humbling thing, and my main fear is not doing it justice. I hope I get a few things right.

Corinna Board teaches EAL (English as an additional language) in an Oxford secondary school. She grew up on a farm, and her writing is often inspired by the rural environment. She particularly enjoys exploring our connection to the more-than-human.

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If you’d like to purchase a signed copy direct from Corinna, please contact her via Twitter or Instagram.

Well I promised something new for 2024 and here it is. A guest feature for an artist. I plan for the Tuesday Guest Feature to extend to many creatives as well as writers, including artists, photographers, craftworkers etc. So watch this space. However, today, I’d like to introduce artist, Giuseppina Brandi, whose work I greatly admire.

Giuseppina chats about her influences, inspiration, and artist journey which I’m know you’re going to love.

Influences, Inspiration and My Artist Journey

Giuseppina Brandi

I’m a self-taught emerging artist, mostly of contemporary figurative paintings and illustrations. I was captivated by the magic of creation from a young age; I’ve been drawing all my life, for as long as I can recall. I remember vividly when at the age of five, I told my parents that the only things I wanted for my birthday was a drawing pad and coloured pencils (and a typewriter too), so I got my first Fabriano pad. 

Art has always been a main focus, even though I worked a variety of regular, non-art jobs, and even though I stopped making art for a long time, mainly due to lack of time. It’s only been a year since I started painting again and since then I started submitting work to magazines and journals.

My art is influenced by various Schools, from the paintings of antiquity – I’m enchanted by the Fayum portraits – to the more refined works of the 19th century, with a predilection for Caravaggio, Giovanni Boldini, the Impressionism and Surrealism. 

Above painting by Giuseppina Brandi – Winter – Mixed-media (watercolour, acrylic, markers)

I love using different media, enjoying the physicality and the expressiveness of the different materials: watercolour, acrylic and oil paintings are equally important to me, but currently the medium that fascinates me the most is watercolour. Mother technique of the fresh sign and improvisation, its uncontrollable aspect leads you to paint in a more instinctive way, because of those colors that mix randomly, and spur you to find a balance between skills and unpredictability.

As for the subjects of my artworks, each one of them has a story, made up from my imagination, or from history or other fields of human knowledge, even if it is just hinted at, and brushwork after brushwork, their stories unfold on the paper/canvas, mingling with feelings and emotions from my personal experiences. I tend to paint mostly female subjects, and I mainly focus on faces although I like to vary and draw or paint subjects that belong to the natural or fantasy world. I have never set limits on what or how to draw. I definitely have preferences, but I love finding new ways to express myself through my art; I try to create works pertaining to what I am passionate about. I’m fond of fairy tales too and have always loved mythology and folklore, so I really like drawing on these branches and using their fruits.

In the field of illustrations there are various artists I draw inspiration from, including Brian Froud, Sarah Coomer and Angela Harding, to name but a few.

Above Painting by Giuseppina Brandi – Down the River – Watercolour Published in Acropolis Journal: Issue Eight

I’m still learning and experimenting to find my true voice. I consider the process of finding my artistic voice a journey more than a destination.

There are so many amazing contemporary artists who inspire me and challenge me to step out of my comfort zone. So I say to myself that it’s ok to try new things and experiment, at my own pace, taking my time, in order to find what truly resonates with me as an artist.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that I love making art and I have fun and I enjoy doing it.

Above painting by Giuseppina Brandi – THE MELODY OF THE SOUL – Mixed-media published in Fever of the Mind Poetry, Art &Music: Issue 8

About Giuseppina Brandi

Giuseppina Brandi lives in Naples, Italy, with her five-year-old son. She has a Master’s Degree in Comparative Literatures, with a Dissertation on Poetry in Europe during WWI. She has mainly worked in tourism as a cultural and tourist information centre officer. She loves the 1920s and 1930s and used to collect memorabilia from that era: necklaces, earrings, garments, postcards and old books.

She is currently taking a Professional Course in Literary Translation.

Autodidact, she has always loved drawing and painting, and she takes inspiration from natural world and human emotions. With a great passion for poetry too, she believes in the power that art and poetry have of healing and connecting. Her artwork has been published in Black Bough Poetry edition Sound and Vision, Acropolis Journal: Issue Seven, Blue Motel Rooms Poetry and Art inspired by Joni Mitchell, The Poetica Sisterhood of Sylvia & Anne, Fever of the Mind Poetry, Art&Music: Issue 8, Cover art of the Spellbinder literary Magazine: Autumn issue 2023, Acropolis Journal: Issue Eight, Moss Puppy Magazine.

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DOWNLOAD FREE COPY OF HOUSE OF GRACE ON KINDLE

For the first time since publication, House of Grace, Book 1 in family saga trilogy, is FREE to download on Amazon Kindle – OFFER IS FOR FOUR DAYS ONLY

Friendship – Romance – Love – Fashion – Betrayal – Social Conflict – Tragedy and much more.
Step back to 1950 and travel with Grace Granville through two decades.

Go HERE to download for FREE

Hurry though – the clock is ticking…

Please join me in congratulating Mary L Schmidt on the launch of her new release Christmas in Evergreen

Christmas in Evergreen

Mary L Schmidt

Blurb

My husband, Steve, and I have always had a great relationship, married, for the last five years. He’s a private investigator, and I have my artwork. Much of his work involved using a special laptop, one that was rugged and lockable, in his home office and I had my art studio where I could lose myself in painting and creativity. Life was wonderful, until the day I read a completely chilling and startling “Hit List” on his computer screen. Confusion ran supreme in my brain and then it hit me. My name was at the top of that list! Wait! What? No! Never! Yet I read “Kim Daily” plain as day. What would you do if you found out you were the next target on your husband’s hit list? Steve intentionally left his laptop open for me to read. He simply can’t be an assassin! I would know. Or would I? No! That’s impossible! Steve has been the kindest husband for five years and he was a crack ass private investigator; not an assassin. Yet why was my name at the top of his hit list? Why did he even have a hit list? My mind reeling in shock, I had to do something to stay alive! Think, Kim, think! Get your best game on right now as time is running out!

To celebrate this new release, Mary is offering a FREE book to the first TEN takers. To Apply for this offer, contact Mary on this link HERE and mention the FREE offer.

OR

Order your copy HERE (UK)

Order your copy HERE (US)

About Mary L Schmidt

Mary L. Schmidt writes under the name of S. Jackson along with her husband Michael, pen name A Raymond. Books were her thing, her escape to new worlds. After retiring from nursing, she began writing as a second career, and more than 30 books in various genres have been published.

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Welcome back to Patricia’s Pen and my first guest for the new year is poet, Julian Day. Julian has come along to chat about his writing journey, influences, and poets who’ve inspired him. Without further ado, it’s over to Julian.

My Writing Journey

Julian Day

This is a tale told in two halves of my life. The first begins when I was seventeen, when I met a Writer In Residence – the now late Irish poet, Matthew Sweeney – who spent a year at Farnham sixth form college, where I was a student. This was 1984-1985. My passion for reading and writing poetry really started there. Matthew made quite an impact on both students & teachers, and he was much loved & respected. And my first poetry mentor to speak of. I will always fondly remember his gentle, encouraging warmth and playful demeanour.

Fast forward to the next century –  and the more recent past, where poetry found me again, exactly at time when I needed it the most – and we find ourselves in 2020. After nearly three decades working full-time as a mental health professional within the NHS, I was in the middle of my own mental health crisis. Which, was also, in so many ways, a crisis of meaning, as much as it was a crisis facing down a severe second episode of depression. After a long service of care to others, I urgently needed my own care of the soul. I began writing poetry seriously again, for the first time in thirty plus years.

Eventually, I would leave my old life and work behind.

Poetry was not simply soul medicine for a wounded,  troubled soul. Or some escape from a lifestyle that was neither sustainable or healthy for me, or only some type of personal therapy, alongside psychotherapy, to make sense of the life I had been living. Poetry was coming from the future, asking me some timely existential questions. It would take some more time, before I would start to recognise what shape of a life I could reimagine for myself, where writing poetry was right at centre of my renewed sense of self and deep identity as a creative, as a writer, as a poet.

The more I read and write, I realise there is so much more to read, learn and write from, not least of all, learn and be inspired by the example of other poets. There are really so many incredibly talented contemporary poets whose work I deeply admire. Too many for me to name them all here, but let me share a few thoughts about two here.

Firstly, I need to mention the work of Brenda Shaughnessay. I cannot get enough of her poems!  How to describe her poetry? And, then, it’s influence on me?

What I find in Shaughnessy’s poetry is a deep feeling and love for the imaginative reach and possibilities of a poem. Including, ways of intimately engaging the reader. Of being drawn really close to the face of the poem and it’s speaker! 

Rather like Selima Hill, I find in Shaughessay, a very intuitive use of metaphor and skill in turning a poetics of language, the body, as a lens upon human relationships.

Simply said, her work challenges me to push my own poetry into new directions by asking me to feel more deeply, imagine more deeply, into language, into the heart of metaphor, and weigh up the balance and tone of each and every line of a poem I write.

John McCullough is another poet whose imaginative aliveness and invigorating freshness of language, allied to his wit, heart and deeply slant, queer and surreal vision on everyday life-  expand my own sense of what a poem might be able to do and achieve.

Both these exciting and very accomplished poets, inspire me to write more creatively into my own life and writing practices as a poet. Their work, like the work of so many other contemporary poets, feels like a gift that keeps on giving to me, as I grow into my own voice.

About Julian Day

Julian Day is an emergent poet & writer based in Surrey. He has been a featured poet by Blackbough Poetry and had work published by them in two recent anthologies. Julian has been nominated for a Best Of The Net by Blackbough. His poetry has also been published in The Storms journal and appeared three times, reading his poems, on Eat The Storms podcast.

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BlueSky

New Poetry Collection

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish my readers a happy 2024. I can’t believe how quickly time moves, already we’re into the second week of January.

January for me brings excellent news. The Hedgehog Poetry Press will publish my latest poetry collection later this year. Watch out for updates. To celebrate this announcement White Wings Books are offering a special January deal for poetry lovers.

Readers can purchase a signed limited edition copy of Spirit Mother at the special price of £5 plus postage and packaging with a FREE micro poetry collection limited edition ‘Stickleback‘.

For the first three takers, a limited edition of Symbiosis will also be thrown in.
All of the above are published by The Hedgehog Poetry Press.

Spirit Mother with FREE stickleback – UK – £7.50 to include postage and packaging

Spirit Mother with FREE stickleback – EUROPE – £9.50 to include £4.50 postage and packaging

Spirit Mother with FREE stickleback – REST OF WORLD – £11.00 to include £6.00 postage and packaging

We’re having trouble processing PayPal on here so if you’d like to order please go to PayPal.Me link , pay the relevant amount, mark as friends and family, due to the non-profiting deal, and email patricia.m.osbornewriter@gmail.com with your name and address and how you’d like the pamphlets signed.

Patricia’s Pen Tuesday Guest Feature starts back on the 9th January 2024 with my first guest of the year, poet Julian Day. This year artists and photographers will also be featured. Watch this space.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my followers for all your support over this last year, and to those who celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful festive season. To those who don’t, I hope you manage to take a bit of a break from every day life and do something that you enjoy. And to those followers who for one reason or another are going to find the festive period tough, my thoughts and hugs go out to you all.

Patricia’s Pen will return in January with lots more guest features and I’m working on an idea for something a little different too. If that works out then all will be revealed in 2024.

On the writing front the first book, The Woodhaerst Triangles, in a brand new family drama trilogy, will be published next year. Hopefully by Spring. Although it is different to House of Grace trilogy, and The Oath, it does share the same theme of love, family and friendship. It’s set in the 1970s in Woodhaerst, a fictional village, on the border of North Wales and Chester. I can’t wait to hear what you all think about it. Below is the blurb which is still subject to change.

The Woodhaerst Triangles

A 1970s dual narrative family drama

Watch out for the cover reveal early 2024. Remember all my books are able to be ordered not only via Amazon, but any good bookstore, physical or online, or pop into your local library.

If you’re enrolled in Kindle Unlimited all my novels are included.

Wishing you all a festive time.

Until next year…

House of Grace
The Coal Miner’s Son
The Granville Legacy
The Oath

Please join me in congratulating poet Alan Parry on the launch of TWENTY SEVEN. Read on to find out more about the poetry collection and how you can obtain a copy.

TWENTY SEVEN

The Spirit of Morrison Echoing Through Poetry

The collection, Twenty Seven, weaves an intricate fabric of emotion, nostalgia, and vivid imagery that invokes memories of rock icon Jim Morrison. From the raw passion of his musical prowess to the deep introspection of his lyrics, Morrison’s spirit permeates each poem, acting as both muse and ghostly presence.

Beginning with ‘As Children,’ we’re immersed in a world of youthful wonder and innocence, reminiscent of Morrison’s own formative years and his flirtation with the wilderness of experience. The lines, ‘we threw rocks that tore holes in the sun,’ evoke his rebellious nature and yearning to challenge the status quo. The existential questioning, which was a hallmark of Morrison’s lyrical style, reverberates in ‘Lost Innocence’ and ‘I Worry,’ tackling themes of mortality, vulnerability, and the unpredictability of life.

‘Pain Sings Like the Hope of Youth’ captures Morrison’s fervent belief in poetry as a tool of revolution – to be shouted from rooftops and declared to the world. The mention of ‘fields of fizzing flares’ and ‘iron-smoke skies’ draws parallels to the fiery intensity of Morrison’s live performances, setting stages ablaze with his fervor.

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Morrison’s fascination with the duality of life—light and dark, love and pain, life and death—is mirrored in poems like ‘Night-Time’ and ‘Lovemaking.’ These pieces speak to both the electric thrill of the night and the inevitable arrival of daylight. The sensuality and raw passion that defined Morrison’s presence are felt vividly in ‘Lovers,’ with lines like ‘shake the walls & feel violin bows skimming against their paper skin,’ which echo the ecstatic highs and introspective lows of love.

In ‘Backstreets’ and ‘City at Night,’ we are taken on a journey through gritty urban landscapes—a nod to Morrison’s tumultuous relationship with Los Angeles, a city he both loved and loathed. The restless energy of these environments mirrors the chaos and allure of Morrison’s own life.

‘I Dream’ feels especially poignant, as Morrison was a dreamer in every sense, lost in his thoughts, ideals, and visions for the future. Here, the dreamer imagines a myriad of scenarios, from “gambling my days with beer” to the whimsical ‘meeting black & white writers wearing vaseline in their hair.’

‘Regret’ touches on the melancholy of missed opportunities and the quiet yearning for connection—themes that Morrison often grappled with. The desire for solitude, yet the pain of loneliness, are sentiments Morrison knew all too well.

The collection’s culmination, Aurora, stands as a testament to Morrison’s lasting legacy—colorful, chaotic, and graceful. Just as the Northern Lights dance unpredictably across the sky, Morrison’s influence remains, undulating and ever-present in the world of music, poetry, and popular culture.

Twenty Seven is more than a mere homage to Jim Morrison. It is a deep dive into the essence of a rock legend, interwoven with Parry’s own unique voice and experiences. Through these poems, Parry not only captures the spirit of Morrison but also pays tribute to the indelible mark the rock icon left on him and countless others. Whether a fan of The Doors, a lover of mid-20th century literature, or simply an admirer of evocative poetry, this collection resonates with the timelessness of Morrison’s impact, channeled through Parry’s masterful pen.

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE

About Alan Parry

Alan Parry is a Merseyside-based writer, editor, and lecturer. His writing embraces gritty realism, open-ended narratives, and the musical stylings of 60s girl groups. Published by esteemed platforms like Dream Noir, Streetcake Magazine, and Ghost City Press, Alan’s work showcases his talent for evocative prose and poetry. Inspired by Alan Bennett, James Baldwin, and Stan Barstow, he crafts compelling stories that resonate deeply. His debut poetry collection, “Neon Ghosts” (2020), and subsequent works like “Belisama” (2021) and “Echoes” (2022) demonstrate his creative prowess. Alan’s upcoming collection with The Broken Spine is due in December 2023. In the summer of 2023, he performed his debut spoken word poetry and prose show, “Noir,” at the Morecambe Fringe Festival. With an expanding repertoire and a distinct voice, Alan Parry is an emerging force in literature and performance.

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