Linzé Brandon's Blog, page 6

PRIME PLEDGE by Linzé Brandon (Book 8 in the Nations of Peace series)

PreSALE offer - get the book BEFORE its release on 1 December 2024!  Wolfgang Hauer is not just a businessman, he is the Prime Alpha, prince of the vampires. Like all the males he craves the relationship with his soul-mate. Cursed into blindness by a vindictive lover, he is deprived of the chance to see the tiny flame in the eyes of the woman who would fulfil that craving. Until he meets Isabeau, whom he knew was going to change everything ... including his future. Isabeau D'Amour is the ep...

BOOK FEATURE: The Medusa Psalms by Kyle Toucher

     This book is a collection of 10 stories and 2 novellas, taking place within, or tangential to, Walpurgis County, a place benighted by fallen angles and old curses, pockets of time dilation, and a sinister cult fixated on the end of all things. Overlooking the entire place broods Walpurgis Peak, a snarling ogre of a mountain, beneath which a comatose entity convalesces, kept alive by a colossal bio-mechanical atrocity, known only as The Machine.

     Connected by events and recurring characte...

Smashwords Summer/Winter sale - The Nations of Peace are on sale!

 The first seven Nations of Peace books are 50% off for the whole of July.
Series link to the sale books

Series link to the sale books

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step Z - it's finished!

Thank you for visiting my blog on the last day of the challenge. If you are an artist interested in taking part in a competition, there is still enough time to enroll. Check out the details on the AGAC website.

I will probably put the painting in an exhibition for sale, and before that happens I will sign it on the front, and then give it two coats of satin varnish.

Sharing the painting on social media can only happen once the competition is closed and the winners are announced.

But here is the fir...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step Y - submission process (part 2: the paperwork)

 No one likes paperwork, that's for sure, but rules are rules. Part of the submission process is to fill out the submission document which you receive when paying the entry fee.

Once the organizers acknowledge receipt of all the files, then the painting is officially in the running for the competition.

Multiple entries are allowed, and that also means making sure the paperwork is submitted correctly for each art work.

Once I press the send button on my email, I relax and take a deep breath. Even as...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step X - submission process (part 1: the painting)

 

Depending on the paint medium, it is a good idea to take the required photos before varnishing the painting. Oil and acrylics tend to be shiny and will make for challenging photos especially if using a glossy varnish.

I prefer a satin varnish for both oil and acrylic paint, but it does depend on the painting. My husband is a professional photographer so I ask him to take my photos for me. Not because I can't take photos, I can, but it is about the colour correction afterwards. I am useless with ...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step W - action steps (part 7: the last decision)

 

The last decision is sometimes the most difficult to make for many artists. I am no different. And that is the decision to stop fiddling. The painting is done and it is time to stop.

Knowing when that happens, requires stepping back and leaving the painting alone for a day or three. I usually cover it up too. If the painting it still drying, I will add clips to the easel to keep the dust cloth away from the drying surface. It will still allow airflow for drying, but covering it up takes it off m...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step V - action steps (part 6: time management)

 Welcome back to my blog, and thank you for sticking around during the challenge. Since I am writing about my process of creating a painting for a competition, you have undoubtedly noticed the lack of photos. Today, I will share another of my paintings to show more of my artwork.

Back to the process! Creating art is different from my day job, where I can plan my time with better control since I know how long it takes to do the tests. I don’t do the same tests every day because not all tests apply...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step U - action steps (part 5: the devil is in the details)

 

It is time to get into the details. At this point, I will remove the taped items to focus on painting the details. These items can be bulky or need to be adhered to the panel after painting so that there are no gaps or halos.

Halos are those white or light-coloured lines you can see surrounding subjects in photos or where a painted area does not cover the background colour properly. It is usually a good idea to avoid these unless, of course, you want them. I'm not fond of those halos, so I will ...

A-to-Z blog challenge: Step T - non-painting tasks (part 3: assess, record, and update)

Staring at the painting is not very productive, although it is important to do so. To make the effort useful, it is time to make notes. Using my sketchbook with the original thumbnails and planning, I can make notes with words or drawings, on the things I am seeing that need adjustment. It not the time to do the work. It is the time to think about the things that needs to be fixed or changed. Make the notes and they will not be forgotten.

It is also useful to take a picture with my phone, print i...