An interview with Visual Artist Joan Dimock of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

 

We have another new visitor to the Scribbler.

 

I met Joan this summer when she was co-managing the Art on the Wharf along with fellow artist, Colleen Shannon.

She has kindly agreed to answer a few questions and share images of her artwork.

 Please note her work is for sale and you will find a link below.

Read on, my friends.

 

 

Joan Dimock is a resident of south-eastern New Brunswick. She spends her summers in Shediac and winters in Moncton.  Her inspiration often comes from New Brunswick landscapes, beaches, coastlines, and the natural beauty of Bay of Fundy vistas and trails.

Joan paints exclusively in oils and usually paints landscapes that she has experienced herself or that instill a sense of memory. She is drawn to create landscapes that evoke the feelings one experiences from the vastness of skies, water, and vistas. She enjoys the challenge of reducing the largeness of what one sees in person to a painting that can still arouse the feeling of being in nature.

Joan's retirement has allowed a greater focus on her art and art community. In addition to her involvement with the Art on the Wharf in Pointe du Chene,  Joan is an active member of the Riverview Arts Council.

 

 

Scribbler: Thanks for being our guest this week, Joan. Please tell our readers how long you’ve been painting? How did you get started?

Joan: I have always been a creative but my interest in painting began about 10 years ago.  I am self-taught with a number of mentors/teachers along the way and believe painting is is a life long learning.  Originally I started painting to take time to breath, time for me.  I found that when you paint, you fully focus on what you are doing and can escape from all the competing priorities on ones mind.   I quickly became very interested in the process and developing my skills.  Now I paint because it has become part of me.

 

Scribbler: How do you decide what you are going to paint next?

Joan: My inspiration comes from the human need to connect with nature and my experience with those feelings, particularity from the places I have been, seen and felt.  Half the fun is exploring our landscapes and taking reference photos for future paintings, its part of my process.  I am inspired by the sensory affects of the sights, the physical feelings of the wind, the emotional feelings of calmness or nostalgia and even smells while walking through the woods or beside our seascapes.  What I paint next depends on what landscapes I have a connection with at the time.  I usually have 3 or 4 paintings on the go at the same time.

 

Scribbler: What I admire most about your paintings is the softness (not sure if that’s the right word) of the colours, which I find most appealing. How do you do that?

Joan: Choice of paint palette helps but I find painting multiple thin layers over several sittings create the softness you describe.  When studio painting, I am in no rush and I let the layers dry for a few days before continuing the process.  In addition I mix my paint with mostly transparent oils allowing the creation of depth with many layers and utilizing soft edges for brushstrokes.

 

Scribbler: I notice many of your images are of the seashore or in nature. What inspires you?

Joan: You will see that most of my paintings have some aspect of water in them.  I am inspired by  what one feels when by the water.  It can be the calmness of sunset on the Northumberland Strait, the power of the Bay of Fundy, the reflective nature of a brook or the sound of waves over our shorelines.   I often cannot feel a connection to a landscape without the water.

 

Scribbler: Where are your paintings exhibited or where can they be purchased?

Joan: I exhibit my originals mostly in the summer months in Shediac and prints can be found at Maritime Crafts in Shediac as well.  Although you can find me at a few Fine Art Sales throughout the year, the best approach is to contact me directly on my Instagram account  @joan_dimock.  

Please go HERE.

 

Scribbler: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

 

Joan: I have come to the conclusion that my love of landscapes continues to translate into other mediums and processes.  I continue to studio paint, particularly in the winter, however over the last few years I have put a focus on plein air painting (The act of painting outdoors). Painting plein air is a process of adventure and gives me the ability to paint nature while outside in nature, amplifying the feelings in nature and senses of colour.  Utilizing fibre art, I have also  translated a number of landscapes into wool needle felting pieces  that continue to provide the connection ones feels in nature utilizing an additional creative process.

 

 

 Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Joan. We wish you continued success with your paintings.

 

 

Another BIG thank you to all our visitors and readers.

Please leave us a comment, especially where you are from.

The Story Behind the Story with Author Barb Parker of Fredericton, NB, Canada.

 

Another new author for you to meet. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Barb at the GMRD Book Fair last spring. I’m happy to have her visit with us as our special guest this week.

Read on, my friends.

 

 

Hello, my name is Barb Parker. I live in Fredericton, N.B. with my husband, Larry. I am an author of three non-fiction books: My first book, “My Sister’s Journey from Headache to Heartache.” was published in 2010.  This book was awarded “READERS CHOICE OF THE YEAR 2013” by Salon Magazine (Telegraph Journal).  This book was recommended by a well-known doctor/author, to be used as an Educational Tool at Dalhousie University.

 My second book, THE CHOICE MY PATH MY DESTINY,” was published in 2013.  Both books are now available through NB Library Services.

My third book, “DON’T LEAVE ME,” was published in 2024 and is available online or by contacting me.

 

Title: DON’T LEAVE ME

 

 Synopsis: I wrote this book as a tribute to my mother in hopes of encouraging others to share, care, love, and take care of their elderly parents. I recommend taking many pictures & cherishing the special moments that keep memories alive forever.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:

My third book,” DON’T LEAVE ME,” was not something I had planned to do. UNTIL, one day when I was cleaning out my mother’s apartment after her death and climbed up on a small ladder to check the shelves for anything I may have missed. Something shiny caught my eye.  It was a small feather broach that my mother had worn on one of her sweaters, kept on the shelf.  I showed my brother what I had found. He said, “you know that is a sign that Mum will come back to visit you by leaving feathers in your path.”  He was right.  I started finding feathers in strange places.  After months passed, many memories still so vivid in my memory of the seven years that I cared for my mother, I felt I had to share her story (our story), thus “DON’T LEAVE ME,”

The logo of the publisher, Word Alive is a feather.  Yes, a feather. 

 

 

Facebook: Please go HERE.

Scribbler: What has been the most enjoyable about your writing journey, Barb? The least enjoyable?

Barb: The most enjoyable journey about my writing of all three books was relieving the good memories. The least enjoyable about my writing journey of my three books, including my last book, was the pain and tears and sadness as I shared the sad, scary, unknow memories that were part of the story.

An Excerpt from: DON’T LEAVE ME

Chapter 12:

When I walked in, I found broken glass and water all over the living room floor. Mum didn’t know who I was. She was trying to talk………………

Thank you for being our guest, Barb. We wish you continued success with your writing.

Thank you to all our visitors and readers.

Feel free to leave a comment below.

We’d love to hear from you.

The Story Behind the Story with Author Nick Doyle of Saint John, NB, Canada.

 

We have another new author to the Scribbler for you to meet today. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Nick at the GMRDBook Fair this spring and he has kindly accepted our invitation to be our guest this week 

Read on, my friends.

 

 

Nick Doyle is an author from Saint John, New Brunswick. He’s a securities lawyer by trade and has a background in Greek and Roman history and culture. He likes to use that background to create engaging, mythologically dense stories with a dark twist. His preferred genre is dark fantasy and has two ongoing dark fantasy series. His latest foray into fantasy, Celestial City 66, is the first of a planned trilogy with the second due out Fall 2026.

 

Title: Celestial City 66

 

Synopsis:

In a world swarming with monsters and the decay of a ruined civilization, the small settlement of Mist has survived in relative tranquility. That is, until a terrible creature breaks through Mist’s walls and shatters the peace by infecting the populace with a deadly poison. With no available cure, two youths, Remus Quinn and Claudia Tarr embark on a perilous journey to the north in a desperate attempt to reach the mythical Celestial City 66, the last living city, and the only place medicine able to heal their people might exist.

 

The path north leads through a multitude of dangers from horrifying creatures littering the countryside to bloodthirsty warlords and their gangs of killers. Beliefs are challenged and hands are bloodied all without knowing if the fabled Celestial City 66 truly waits for them at the end of their journey.

 

 

The Story Behind the Story:

The initial idea for Celestial City 66 came from a short story I wrote while I was in law school. While adapting short stories into novels isn’t odd for many writers, it is for me. I’m terrible at writing them and usually avoid doing so. This short story was about a creature that derived elements from Eastern Orthodoxy mythology and some hapless fools that wandered into its cave. It wasn’t very good, but I started imagining what the world outside the cave would be, and this led to me creating a fun post-apocalyptic backdrop. An adapted version of the short story is actually a key chapter in the book and marks the end of its second act.

 

 

Facebook: Please go HERE. 

Scribbler: What has been the most enjoyable about your writing journey, Nick? The least enjoyable?

Nick: Easily my favourite aspect of the writing journey is the weeks following a release where I get to finally see reactions from readers about the stories I’ve had locked up to myself for so long. For the actual craft of writing, I love when I can click with a character so much that I don’t need to consider what they would or should do. They simply act in the story according to their internal beliefs. I have a good number of characters under my belt, and those ones are precious.

The least enjoyable part is the grind. Sometimes things don’t gel, or you’re not feeling the scene. Pushing through that and forcing words on the page even without the muse is always the hardest part for me.





An Excerpt from: Celestial City 66

 

Remus emerged into a different world. Rolling green fog smelling of lavender and cooked meat rose up into the air. It wasn’t coming from the lake. The unnatural vapor wafted from where the gate once stood. Remus pierced the fog and ran to confront the beast. 

He spotted its monstrous shadow through the fog near the chapel. Its arms flung wild, snapping up fearless, stupid men who tried to challenge it in the hope of proving their strength to the Messiah. As Remus got closer, fleshy tubes had sprouted from the sides of the monster, pumping out the green gas that filled the town. Two hunters were stabbing its thick fat but hadn’t pierced its hide. Remus ran to join them. He backed off just as the monster’s left hand smashed one to a paste and swiftly grabbed the other. 

Remus yelled at the top of his lungs and swung the Maneater as he rushed forward. The serrated blade hit the monster’s left arm near the joint and left a long cut. From the beast’s mouth came the pig cry again, spewing equal parts drool and gore that pooled in front of it. Remus followed up his attack, forcing the monster to drop the hunter in its clutches. The blue light of the dangling eye focused on Remus. It reared its other hand back and sent him flying against the wall of the chapel. 

Remus gasped as the air flew from his lungs on impact. Never once did he allow his spear to fall from his hand. He gazed up, his head fuzzy and vision blurry. The fog grew thick, but before a green death enveloped him, he spotted a figure running in his direction. The man’s face was obscured by a black gas mask, but the purple robes meant it had to be the preacher Michael.

“Get out of here,” Michael shouted. 

“But Mist.” It was all Remus could say before he started coughing in the fog. 

“You need to get to the lake.”

“I can’t. I can’t. I have to stop it.”

“Foolish child. Get up and…”

The piercing bang of a gunshot choked off Michael’s words. The preacher turned, muttering to himself. The monster reared its head as its insectoid legs began the long process of turning its hulking mass towards the gate. Another shot broke past the yellow orb of its right eye. The monster wailed, and its giant hand pressed against its leaking face. Chunks spattered into the air as two more shots burst through the beast’s flesh. Emboldened hunters rallied. They were quickly brushed away, but not before opening a series of bloody gashes on the monster’s side. Remus rose to join them, but the preacher Michael held him back.

“No,” Michael said. 

Remus looked past him and saw a swift shadow in the fog, racing like the winged angels of Michael’s sermons. The figure wore a long brown coat with a wide-brimmed hat. His face was covered by a gas mask, and he carried a knife the size of a forearm. The man scrambled up the monster’s back, arm slashing back and forth as he ran along the ridge of the creature’s spine. He reached the forehead and grabbed at the tendril holding up the blue light. The man severed it with two brutal hacks. The light dimmed and the beast sputtered bile and bellowed once again. 

Remus stood in awe as the lone man stood against the giant beast. Both hulking arms clasped together, snatching up the man before he could evade. The beast squeezed, throwing open its mouth in anticipation of a well-earned meal. The man wriggled in the stubby fingers, his hand reaching something on his belt. As the beast dangled him above its gaping mouth, the man tossed a tiny ball downward into the gigantic esophagus. At the same time, he unleashed his knife on the fingers holding him, forcing them to release. Dropped on the ground, the man entered a dead sprint toward Remus and Michael. He fell upon the side of the chapel and covered his ears just as a mighty bang sounded. Remus’s eyes flew open as an explosion rocked the inside of the beast’s stomach, spewing fire, smoke, and the gruesome contents of the beast’s stomach everywhere. Its mouth hung open and it fell to the side, landing among scattered flesh and a strange, blue blood that now seeped into every surface of the village. 

Mouth agape, Remus gawked at the man, who was busy wiping a messy mix of bodily fluids from his coat.

“W-what was that?” Remus asked as the man passed.

“Loimos. Better be worth the grenade.” 

The man left, joining a woman at the gate wreckage. Though a gas mask obscured her face, Remus could recognize that lanky false bravado anywhere—Claudia.

 

 

Thanks for being our guest this week, Nick, and for sharing an excerpt. Your story sounds intriguing.

We wish you continued success with your writing.

 

 

Thank you to all our visitors and readers.

Feel free to leave a comment below.

We’d love to hear from you.

EARTH!

 It’s finally here!

 

It’s been a wonderful, fun collaboration and you can meet the authors.

Read on, my friends.

Earth, An Anthology, is the first in a compelling four part series that celebrates our

planet in a smorgasbord of unforgettable short stories.

Ten best-selling and award-winning authors who call the North Atlantic home, share

their vivid imaginations in these tales of intrigue and adventure. From potato farm

mayhem; investigating mysterious jagged trenches; a voice from the past; a grim

discovery, and a quest for a lost sword, to life lessons; seductive sparkle and fire; questioning the balance between good and bad; and someone – or something – that threatens the existence of Warden McCabe — Earth,

An Anthology, is a treasure trove of pure entertainment.

So tuck into your favourite armchair and experience our world as never before.

Angela Wren

Angela is an author, actor, and has worked as a director at a small theatre a few miles from where she lives in the county of Yorkshire in the UK.  She has always loved stories and story-telling – no matter what the media.  So, having ditched her full-time and very pressured job in business change and project management, it seemed right to try her hand at creative writing.

Starting with short stories, one of her earliest pieces was published in an anthology which was put together by the magazine ‘Ireland’s Own’ in 2011.  She hasn’t looked back since, going on to create many more short stories in, the Miss Moonshine, the Dark World, and the Seasonal Paths series of anthologies, along with stories for the UK Crime Book Club Group on Facebook.  She also has a successful cosy crime series of full-length novels set in the Cévennes and featuring her private investigator, Jacques Forêt.

 When she’s not writing, Angela likes to spend as much time as possible each year travelling in France.

 

Angela’s story in Earth

Eithne

Website – please go HERE.

 

Angella Cormier

Angella grew up in St-Antoine, in southeast New Brunswick. It was in this small town’s library where her love of reading and writing were born. Her curious nature about everything mysterious and paranormal helped carved the inspiration for her current passion of writing horror and mystery stories. She is also a published poet, balancing out her writing to express herself in these two very opposing genres. Angella has an extensive background in Interactive Multimedia Technology since 1998. She now owns and operates “Ancor Creative Solutions” as a personal creative assistant, where she proudly helps other writers with their cover design and book formatting, among with many other services.

Angella’s story in Earth.

Earth 2.0

Website – please go HERE. 

 

Eden Monroe.

Eden writes about real life, real issues and struggles, and triumphing against all odds. A proud east coast Canadian, she enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, and a good book.

 

Eden’s story in Earth.

The Awakening.

Website – please go HERE.

 

 Gianetta Murray

Gianetta was a librarian, technical writer, and knowledge manager for over forty years on two continents before she hung up those hats in 2022 to fulfill her dream of being a writer.

Netta has stories in Spring and Summer Paths as well as other anthologies. She has published a collection of humorous paranormal stories, A Supernatural Shindig, and the first two books in her Vivien Brandt Mystery series, starting with Moved to Murder. She is currently working on the third.

Besides writing, she enjoys walks in the English countryside when the weather allows, and when it does not (which is often) she binges on TV mysteries, Hollywood musicals, and rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is also a willing slave for two very demanding cats.

 

Gianetta’s story in Earth.

The Gardener of Braintree.

Website – please go HERE.

 

Pierre Arseneault

The youngest of eleven children, Pierre C. Arseneault grew up in the small town of Rogersville, New Brunswick, Canada. As a cartoonist, Pierre was published in over a dozen newspapers. As an author, he has written solo and in collaboration. Pierre currently lives in the outskirts of his hometown again, near Rogersville in New Brunswick, Canada.

Pierre’s story in Earth.

Cedrik’s Travelling Sideshow

Website – please go HERE.

 

Suzanne Casey.

In my office closet, I have binders upon binders of stories that I created during elementary school.  I've been writing since I was 9-10 years old.  That passion has been burning in me for many decades.  However, regular life got in the way.  Marriage, raising two daughters, work, and other regular obligations came first.

When my parents died 6 weeks apart several years ago, I decided to stop finding excuses and follow my dream of becoming a novelist.  Life was too short not to live it with complete passion.  Surrounded by the love and support of my family and longtime friends, I've never looked back.

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, loyal friend, and supporter of the underdogs.  I prefer one on one lunch dates over large gatherings.  I like making food for people, a trait I got from my mother.  Spending time with my two daughters rejuvenates me.  Spending time with my grandchildren is beyond precious.  Spending time with my siblings feeds my soul.

Suzanne’s story in Earth.

Boris.

Suzanne – please go HERE.

 

Sandra Bunting

Sandra grew up mainly in Miramichi, New Brunswick. She graduated from Ryerson, Toronto with a BA in Radio and Television Arts. After working for Broadcast News (CP) and CBC News, she moved to Europe and lived in France, Spain, and Ireland. She received a Masters in Writing from University of Galway and went on to give poetry seminars there, set up and manage the Academic Writing Centre, teach English as a Second Language and train teachers to teach EFL. 

Sandra’s first poetry collection, Identified in Trees, was published in 2006 by Marram Press in Galway, followed by two short story collections, The Effect of Frost on Southern Vines and Everything in this House Breaks, this time with her her own imprint Gaelóg Press. An earlier non-fiction collaboration The Claddagh: Stories from the Water's Edge was published by History Press, Dublin. The poetry collection Lesser Spotted was launched in the spring of 2023. She returned to Canada in 2011 and established herself in Montreal and later Miramichi, where she took up the position of executive director of the multicultural association for a few years. 

Sandra’s story in Earth.

Green Potatoes

Facebook – please go HERE.

 

 

Christopher Sweet

I’m a father of two crazy little boys, Gideon (3) and Sullivan (1), and beast-dad to three dogs and a cat (Colby, Zelda, Stanley, and Gemma). My wife, Annie, and I (et al) live on the gorgeous Tabusintac River where we help manage my parents’ campground, Ocean River RV Resort. Summers are spent working outdoors, tending the grounds, and winters are spent in relative creative isolation. We moved here in 2021 from Hamilton, Ontario and the change in pace and lifestyle has been incredible for our family and for our creative work (Annie is a very gifted visual artist, creator, singer, and, not least of all, mom). I’ve been writing for quite literally longer than I can remember and fairly recently decided to “seriously” funnel my ambition and creative energy into what has been my life’s passion. I took broadcast journalism at Mohawk College in Hamilton and screenwriting at University of Toronto. Journalism was fun but being awakened to screenwriting changed my life and really lit a fire under the writer in me—I wrote several screenplays before I got up the guts to write my first novel. With Annie’s encouragement, I quit what I assumed would be my career for the discernible future and got to work writing. In March of 2022 I published my first novel, The Boy in the Canvas.

 

Christopher’s story in Earth.

Kit

Website – please go HERE.

 

S.C. Eston

Steve always had a conflicting love for the fantastical and the scientific, which led him to write both fantasy and science-fiction. He has five published books: Deficiency, The Conclave and The Burden of the Protector, The Stranger of Ul Darak, and Surrender.   He lives in Fredericton with his wife and children. 

 

Steve’s story in Earth.

The Ridge

Website – please go HERE.

 

Allan Hudson

Allan lives in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife Gloria. I began writing in my mid 50s with no intention of stopping. Since 2013 I have published 10 novels and partaken in four anthologies (this is my fifth). Happily retired, I spend most mornings working on my stories and publishing my blog, the South Branch Scribbler where I feature authors and other creatives, as well as my own stories. The rest of my days are spent with book related projects, time with family and other important issues, such as taking life easy.

 

Allan’s story in Earth

The Last Day on Earth

Website – you’re already here!

 

 

 

Buy the book HERE.

(please & thank you)

 

A HUGE thank you to all our visitors and readers.

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