Critics don't always have the last word

Are you a creative? Struggling to find your niche? 

History is rife with stories such as Albert Bierstadt's (below), but I always love happening across them. When I was writing my Colorado Territory fiction, I had images of Bierstadt's paintings scrolling by on my second monitor. So inspiring. What a gifted painter he was, despite the disparaging opinions of critics of his day. So all you creatives, keep creating! And do it for the glory of the Giver of the gift, not for recognition of the gift itself. 

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), was a member of the Hudson River School. Bierstadt's use of light, often referred to as “luminism,” is his trademark. Known primarily for his depictions of the American West, Bierstadt was the leading painter of the ever-expanding frontier during the 19th century. Today, the few Bierstadt works that become available at auction continue to bring in ever increasing prices. 

Born in Solingen, Germany, Bierstadt’s family moved to Massachusetts when he was just two years old. In 1853, his blossoming interest in art lead him to formal study at the Düsseldorf School in Germany. 

Upon his return to the United States, the artist’s subjects concentrated mainly on the New England area, until 1859, when he accompanied a land surveyor for the U.S. government to the western frontier. The sketches Bierstadt returned with became finished works that garnered him much financial success. Officially finding his niche, he would make numerous trips to the West throughout his career, creating paintings that detailed the bountiful beauty of the vast landscapes he encountered. 

In the critical art circles of his day, Bierstadt did not fare well. Despite his commercial success, opponents of his work often considered his use of large canvases, light and romantic subject matter to be out of style and inappropriate with the tastes of the time. With the rise of Impressionism and the Boston School, public tastes also moved away from his highly detailed landscapes. Bierstadt eventually declared bankruptcy in 1895. (Text of the story excerpted from: www.rauantiques.com)

See more of Albert Bierstadt's work

Are you a creative? What's your creative outlet?

Blessings your day,

Tamera

Revealed, Fountain Creek Chronicles

If given a single wish, Matthew Taylor would turn back time and right a grievous wrong. If given a second wish…he would make 

Annabelle Grayson pay. 

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It's fun to go back and revisit stories written years ago. It's like visiting old friends. Revealed is a favorite of mine because of the oh-so-fun-to-write sarcastic banter between the two lead characters, Matthew and Annabelle. I promise you, at times I could actually "hear" them in my head. I'd love to write a sequel to this series. Someday! 

About Revealed, the second Fountain Creek Chronicles novel and winner of the 2007 RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance:

Annabelle Grayson has been given a second chance at life, but she can't claim it with the cloud of her past hanging over her in Willow Springs. After her husband dies, she advertises for a trail guide to accompany her to land waiting for her in Idaho—and a most unlikely candidate applies for the job.

Matthew Taylor is a man on the run, with consequences of past mistakes pursuing him at every turn. Meeting Annabelle Grayson the first time was unpleasant enough, but when she crosses his path again, her presence in his life—and what she reveals—is devastating. 

Have you read Revealed? Or Rekindled and Remembered, the other two books in the Fountain Creek Chronicles series?