Empty Sky novel by Maura Satchell about Nashville, romance, bereavement, country music, angels and the courage to love.
I wrote about this back in May, and the original plan called for release by Labor Day. Alas, we were delayed. The good news is, the book is being released today! September 26! And by all outlets, I mean the following:
Paperback retailers (both brick and mortar, and online). The book is available through nearly 40,000 bookstores, including independents and chain stores. It’s pretty exciting to think about that!
Publisher’s (and mine) Important note: If you wish to purchase Empty Sky in paperback edition and your retailer doesn’t carry it, you can request it by the ISBN: 978-0985709341 . Alternatively, you can reach out to the publisher, Four Pillars Media Group.
If you get a chance to read Empty Sky, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book! Leave your comments below (and in reviews on online booksellers’ sites too!):
I’ve joked in the past that “drawing to me is like being forcefed cruciferous vegetables for those who hate them.” Bear in mind, I love them (vegetables), but that’s neither here nor there. As I’ve traveled this art journey of splendor and tactile and visual delights, I’ve done my damndest to avoid drawing at all costs. It’s why I gravitated toward acrylics and now oils. When things don’t look right, I’d just slap more paint over them to make it right.
But lately, I’ve accepted if I want to really, REALLY improve, I cannot be afraid of and avoid drawing. So… I’ve been tooling around with some great books of late, and sketchpads, the Ipad and other instruments to record what I see. The first and foremost book I’m talking about, is of course Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. This book was instrumental in giving me confidence to draw and push myself, but even more, to enjoy drawing in and of itself.
So, after that wonderful trek into pencil and paperland, I ventured to ye olde local library and discovered another great gem: Expressive Drawing by Steven Aimone. I can’t tell you what a spectacular book this is! I’m taking my time with it but love, love, love the adventures it has exposed me to. The photo at the top is something I did based on his book and I apologize for the lack of modesty, but I find it exciting! You may not, and that’s fine as art is purely subjective. But after I did this work, I really could not take my eyes off it! I find it offers nuance and hints of things that could be there, but might not be.
So I have a question for you now. What book has changed your art life?
It was a momentous occasion today and it’s taken us two years, but I think we’ve finally found our beach here in Southwest Florida! If you’ve followed my journey, you’ll know that in the past, I lived in Tennessee but vacationed with my husband in Florida. We loved our time here so much that we helped destiny along by finding jobs here and moved to our lovely home along the I-4 Corridor between Tampa and Orlando last year. It’s been quite a transition, but all the pieces came together, more or less.
Good, stable jobs: Check
Friends: Check
Home that we love: Check
Community we’re happy to be part of: Check
Neighbors we adore: Check
The one component missing was our beach. It wasn’t that evident until today. When we drove over to Anna Maria Island. I had driven through on my way home from Long Boat Key one time before David came down and found it charming. We returned one day to check it out but the timing was poor and the weather bad. David’s kids, who live in Somerset County, England, are coming back over for a visit this Sept. so we decided to rent a beach house there, trusting our luck. Today we figured we’d drive over and check it out.
I wasn’t prepared for the crystal-clear turquoise water! Or the powdery soft sand! Or the pine trees gently shading beach entryways and providing some gorgeous scenery of their own! The house we’re renting is located at the north end of the island and I’m so excited! I can envision great family beach times, yes, definitely. But I can also envision some times after they leave when Dave and I can jet over for a shorter trip. When he can chill and I can paint. And we can both feel our souls soar in the beautiful island breeze.
Dolly, my breast-cancer “Overcomer” friend is on her second to last treatment today! She was happy to see that my painted ceiling tile has taken up a place on the ceiling there for her and all those who cross the threshold to receive chemotherapy treatments to enjoy. I am so honored to have been able to paint it for her and that it came out well enough to hang, viewable to those receiving cancer treatments.
I will now confess to the great deal of anxiety I had when working on this painted ceiling tile. First, because I was not sure what kind of uplifting message/image I could come up with to bring to these patients. What if what I painted was just ho-hum to them? Worse, what if it was unintentionally offensive to some? I stressed and delayed and finally talked to Dolly to find out what was important to her. I figured if I at least did something that resonated with her, that would be enough.
I had only met her a short while before taking on this project, but knew from LaTarsha, our mutual friend, that she was a beautiful, uplifting soul. She takes on life with gusto and joy and shares that with all those around her. In fact, my first meeting with her was at a Zumbathon held to raise money to cover some of her medical expenses. She was right there in the midst of a crowd of 100 or more, dancing away! I loved her from the moment I met her and saw she was an absolutely adorable dynamo!
So, the image that came to me – and that’s really how it happened as I opened myself up to my “geni” – was of Dolly and others in their Zumba garb dancing in joy in the rain. The words I found actually defined the image I decided on:
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
The second part of my anxiety was over the material I’d be working on. An acoustic ceiling tile. Designed to absorb sound, I knew it would be difficult. But somehow, again, thanks to “my muse”, I instinctively knew how to lay the paint on. I wanted bright colors but figured other works in the room would be the typical pink symbolizing breast cancer.
I’m so pleased with how the painting came out and hope it brings mounds of joy and happiness to all who enter that room. Especially Dolly. All along, she’s battled with very low white cell counts and has had to take on the insurer too, to convince them to cover a special injection to boost her count so she could receive the treatments. Well, she HAS overcome so much, and I cannot wait until next Wednesday. It’s Dolly’s last treatment and I will be there with LaTarsha as Dolly “rings the bell” to symbolize the big occasion. She’s so inspiring and I am so excited!
So, we’re getting closer to a firm release date. It looks like late August when all is said and done. In time, I hope, for Labor Day reading opportunities for folks lucky enough to take some time off then. I’m hoping readers will head to the beach for a beach vacation with my book in tow! Or trek to a cabin in the mountains, armed with some good reads, including Empty Sky. Hey, a girl can dream, right?
Whatever the case, Empty Sky looks like it will be available in paperback form in late August. We are working on a book release locally, as well as book-signing events in Nashville and Asheville too, since both of those locations are front and center in this book. Nothing is firm yet, though, so stay tuned!
The front cover of the novel Empty Sky by Maura Satchell
Flowers from my son for Mother’s Day, atop a big file cabinet… huge!
So, it was another emotional and joyous Mother’s day! I heard from both of my boys, my awesome stepson and stepdaughter over in England, and David treated me special as well.
Pete surprised me with an enormous, over-the-top arrangement that he had sent to my office on Friday. To say it was stunning is an understatement, as you can see for yourself.
Needless to say, I’ll be painting these! So, to summarize, it was a gorgeous Mother’s Day and I’m signing off to go paint. Hope you’re all having a great one as well.
This is a painted ceiling tile for a chemotherapy room, painted on behalf of Dolly O’Conner by Maura Satchell
I’ve known and respected LaTarsha, a colleague, for nearly two years now. In fact, she’s become a cherished friend. So when her longtime friend Dolly was diagnosed with Breast Cancer about six months ago, I saw how it struck her and felt immediate empathy for her. Over time, LaTarsha kept me updated about Dolly’s situation and I cheered her on from a distance, only meeting Dolly in April at a Zumbathon/fundraiser in her honor.
I felt an immediate and deep appreciation for Dolly who has weathered her cancer diagnosis and treatments with great strength and grace. And a beautiful smile. I also felt a desire to protect her and do what I could to mitigate her suffering and her trials. So, when Dolly asked if I’d paint a ceiling tile for her at the treatment center, I jumped at the idea. Others had and LaTarsha snapped photos of examples for me to see when she accompanied Dolly for her weekly treatment. I could see how these lovely, uplifting images would brighten the patient’s days and I was eager to contribute one on Dolly’s behalf.
My mind raced with ideas, images and concepts. I wanted this to be an uplifting image that would send the spirits of all patients who saw it soaring. But I wanted this to be especially personal for Dolly, of course, as my gift to her. We spoke and she related her love of dancing and of how she enjoyed being with her friends at the Zumbathon and I got an idea. And then, I came across this quote:
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
That was it! I borrowed the imagery from the Zumbathon and there it was! But I procrastinated, very nervous about working on such an unusual material. Worried that I would ruin the one and only tile I’m sure Dolly would be given. But this past weekend, I dug in, went to work, and trusted in a power outside of myself to produce and create something so very important. I delivered it to Dolly today and was really proud.
Maura delivering the ceiling tile to Dolly at work in the George Jenkins building at Publix in Lakeland, FL
Dolly’s face showed that she loved it. LaTarsha is out of town on business, but her daughter took photos of the painting and of Dolly and I together. And she gave a big thumbs up as well. I’m so very happy that it worked out!
It’s my hope that this painting does, in fact, uplift Dolly each and every time she has chemo. And that it brighten’s the days of all who are forced to endure those treatments. They all face that greatest of life’s challenges and deserve some joy.
You say you want to soak up the world’s greatest art but don’t have the funds or passport for a visit to the continent? Pull up a chair (or charge up your Ipad) and check out these sites:
First stop, point your web browser to Museumlink’s Museum of Museums. It has links to US, Canadian, International, and even Virtual Museums. Not all the links are for art, but they are inspiring, educational, and hopefully motivating.
The Washington Post’s Museum Links Page (warning, it notes it was last updated in 1999!) focuses on the great art collections of the world and at the bottom has a few random listings, including my personal favorite, the Toaster Museum which offers 12 month calendars singing the praises of vintage toasters for only $17.99!
Finally, for online touring, check out Global Museum, an award-winning site that posts links to major museums online as well as museum news. And for jobseekers that might be interested in working in museums, it also includes a great Museum Jobs link.
For the mobile Anglophile, there’s great news! Check out V&A aps for both IPhone and Android.
Not to be outdone, The Museum of Modern Art in New York has its own ap for Iphones.
and finally, if you decide after all this, you’d like to visit the world’s largest museum in person, consider using The Louvre’s Audio Guide ap. It’ll help you get around in that grand expanse of fabulousity!
The folk ballad “Independence Day” was released by Martina McBride. Written by Gretchen Peters, this narrative song tells the tale of an abused wife in desperate circumstances from the vantage point of her eight year old daughter. It has become the anthem for marginalized women everywhere, containing powerful words strung together with the greatest use of metaphors I’ve ever come across. The video by Martina is mighty powerful too as you can see below.
This song serves as a personal linchpin to me when it comes to creating art. That something can evoke such emotion, produce such deep feeling is an incredible gift. I can’t imagine ever having that kind of capacity, and it’s find if I don’t. It is just an awesome thing to know that there are those out there who ARE able to produce works that reach right to the center of the world and shake things up in such a zeitgeisty-kind-of-way.
