Welcome!

Finding Inspiration

As an artist and author I do what I can to stay inspired and find inspiration in a lot of different places. Recently Jim and I took a trip into Boston to see a special display of Matisse’s work called “Matisse in the Studio”. I feel very fortunate to have seen this exhibit since the MFA (Museum of Fine Arts) is the only place in the USA where it will be shown. I heard about it a few months ago and since my birthday was in April I decided this would make a wonderful birthday present. Jim always appreciates the help when deciding what to get me for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc. As it turned out we had a fabulous day and not only saw Matisse (and Jim bought me the book to accompany the show) but also saw a special exhibit by Botticelli, a display of musical instruments from around the world and from different historical times, and an exhibit of revival jewelry.

Not only were the exhibits inspirational but the museum itself is an amazing work of art. I also saw the Chihuly Lime Green Icicle Tower which the museum purchased in 2011 and is now on permanent display in the Shapiro Family Courtyard. I was also fortunate to see the Chihuly exhibit when it was at the MFA in 2011.

All beautiful works of art, all inspirational, and all driving me into my studio to create my own pieces that hopefully others will find inspirational, also. At the MFA in Boston

Writings & Musings

People, Places, Things

I recently started a notebook (yes, another one!) where I can record things that I observe indoors as well as what I may encounter outside that is memory-worthy. I’m gathering data that I can refer to when I need a new character, or a setting, or a plot, even. You never know what will lead you to a new story and that may happen when you meet a new person. So it is good to get out and meet people, go places, and see things.

When indoors, sometimes I’ll sit and listen to the noises around me. My neighborhood is pretty quiet so I hear the crickets in the grass, the birds calling, and a mower going in the distance. But I also hear the clock ticking on the mantle, my Cockatoo playing with his bell in the back room, and my Pomeranian lightly snoring in her bed near me.

Link to DJ Geribo's Writing Blog.

Sometimes when we are at a restaurant for dinner, I’ll stop conversation with my husband and listen to the chatter in the restaurant and the clink of dishes from other tables. Or I might get pieces of conversation from those sitting close by. You just don’t know what will trigger a memory in you or a thought that connects to another thought for a great story idea. Be open to everything around you.

Here is a great example. We just hired a couple of young boys to do yard work for us. We have a lot of land so I think we can keep them pretty busy this summer and also get a lot of work done in our yard, especially areas that have been neglected for many years. Since I enjoy writing juvenile books, I think they can be a great resource for me to gather information about the male teen mind and how it works. I think I’ll be getting a lot more than what we are paying them for, so I’m looking at this as an opportunity to add to my knowledge base.

Gallery sitting has been affording me lots of opportunities to get started on a new painting. Sometimes at home, if I haven't started a new painting and have nothing in mind that I really want to paint, I will work on my writing or another project. But when I begin a new painting at the gallery I really want to finish it when I'm home. I love the pose of these two and although the photo was taken inside at one of the New England fall fairs, I liked the outdoor setting I created more.

To purchase "Alpaca Buddies" go to my gallery.

This is a painting I recently started while gallery sitting. I'm really happy with how it came out. It is representative of the style I want in my work, more painterly and softer. In other words, it looks like a painting, not a photograph. While out looking at fall color Jim and I came upon a group of cows. The one standing came up beside the one laying down and I knew this would make a really nice composition.

To purchase "Cow Pals" go to my gallery.

My Books
Not According to Plan

Sometimes things don't go as planned. This is definitely the case with my latest book, "Seven Storied Houses." When you try to wear too many hats, one or two of them gets put aside as you go along. And that is the case with this book. There are several other commitments on my plate, but mostly my editor (aka Jim, my husband) is quite busy with his own business and to help me is one more thing added to his already long list. Plus we have personal (house) issues that have a deadline and we must complete them asap. So, that means good news for anyone who may want to pre-order "Seven-Storied Houses!"

There is still time to pre-order my latest book and take advantage of the special offer: if you pre-order “Seven Storied Houses” now, you will receive a copy of "Eddie Easel and the Case of the Missing Green" FOR FREE! This offer is extended to Labor Day weekend, September 4, 2017.

To pre-order "Seven Storied Houses" go to www.BBDPublishing.com.
All of my books can be ordered from BBD Publishing:

The House at the top of the Trees
Mouse Bound
The Miracle Dog
Eddie Easel and the Case of the Missing Green (FREE with your Pre-Order of "Seven Storied Houses")

“Creativity takes courage.”

                      ~Matisse

The Lakes Region Art Association Gallery is located at the Tanger Outlets in Tilton, NH. The hours are 10am-6pm on Thur, Fri, Sat, and Sun.

Vynn Art Gallery is located at 30 Main St. in Meredith, NH. The hours are Wed - Sun, 10-4pm.

Gallery Updates

LRAA Gallery

This is my current exhibit at the LRAA Gallery in Tilton. Since I have been painting many new pieces, by the next time I gallery sit I will be changing this display. I have a lot of birds and a couple of prints there now. I need to organize my display a little better and add a couple of my new larger pieces. I'm excited to change up my art with my new pieces (for example, Cow Pals and Alpaca Buddies). Even an artist can get tired of looking at her own work!

Vynn Art Gallery

Things have changed at the Vynn Art Gallery and I am now in a different location in the main room with a much smaller space. The gallery is a nice space with four rooms of art. There is also a room where you can purchase art supplies. If you are in the neighborhood, Meredith is a beautiful area and a tourist destination location, stop by and check out some of my latest work.

Portrait of a Black Cat

Our neighbor's black cat, Jasper, spends almost as much time on our property as he does on his own. A semi-friendly cat (you know the kind, he purrs and rubs on you and then in the next moment he turns and with his sharp-clawed paw, takes a swipe at the hand that was just gently patting him) he loves to hunt in our yard. It is a bit upsetting to us since we like the wildlife to feel that our yard is a safe haven since we feed birds, including turkeys, as well as chipmunks, squirrels, deer, and whatever wild animal passes through noticed.

We have seen him sitting next to a chipmunk hole, patiently, for hours, waiting for the moment when the innocent chipmunk thinks surely the black cat is gone. We do our best to chase him out but our best efforts only make him laugh louder. This is one time when he was stalking our chipmunks and feigning interest in me. I got a few good photos of him and really liked this one. You really can't see the evil look in his eyes....or can you?

A Portrait of Kameko

We are coming up on a year since I lost my Meko. She was almost 15 but having survived a bout with IMHA (an auto-immune disease) she had far more suffering than any dog should have to endure. And because of the medication she was on, which did save her life, she also suffered several years with rising kidney and liver numbers that we tried to help by administering daily fluids. How ever much time I had with Meko would never be enough but I know we had far more years than we would have if we had chosen to do nothing (she was 8 years old when she contracted IMHA). She was an extra special little girl that will live on in my heart forever.

See more of my Animal Portrait work on my website.

Authistpreneur

author/artist/entrepreneur

Someone who is an author, an artist, and an entrepreneur. Any person who writes or has a published novel, who paints fine art/illustrations, and also has established businesses using the combination of artistic talents.
- DJ Geribo

What I'm Reading

And now my reading has slowed down a bit. I still have a short list (that includes about 20 books) but I’m always distracted by other books that cross my path.

One of those books was “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B. White. Of course it didn’t take very long to read since it is a children’s book but it is a sweet children’s story that has a happy ending, of course. I think we all need to read a happy ending book occasionally.

In 2015 I read a book titled “First Love” by Turgenev. I recently picked up another book titled similarly “First Love and Other Sorrows” by Harold Brodkey. Although I had never read anything by him I knew his name sounded familiar. This book was a collection of short stories turned out to be a mediocre read for me. A couple of the characters appeared in several of the stories that followed their lives as they married and had a child. I didn't quite get the 'sorrows' in the story, unless just the normal lives of people who confront the every day struggles of sharing a living space and raising a family can often be a sorrowful life to live.

In June I found a treasure at our swap shop in the form of “Lafcadio” by Shel Silverstein, his first children’s book. Although it took only minutes to read, I’m adding it to the list of books I’ve read in 2017 because like all the books I’ve read since around 2014, I review them and add these reviews to my website. Hopefully those reading my newsletter and my book reviews will find them helpful when choosing their own books to read themselves or for their children.

Finally, I finished a book by Eudora Welty “A Curtain of Green and Other Stories”. Since I just finished writing my first collection of short stories and I plan on writing more short stories, I’ve been on a short-story reading kick and learning from the masters, of which Eudora Welty is one. This is Ms. Welty's first collection of short stories, which she wrote sometime in the '40's. As the New Yorker said about her stories, they are "deceptively simple...they are concerned with ordinary people, but what happens to them and the manner of the telling are far from ordinary."

Go to My Blog to See What I'm Currently Reading

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