"An Activity Engaged in for Pleasure"

By Margaret Lucke

Jess Randolph, the protagonist of my new mystery novel, Snow Angel, doesn't think of painting as a hobby. To her, it's a vocation -- a profession equal in weight and importance to her work as a private investigator. But if a hobby can be defined as "an activity engaged in for pleasure," Jess's art definitely qualifies.

When Jess first arrived in my mind, she was already an artist. It was not a choice that I consciously made for her. But it was natural fit of author and character -- writers often imbue their protagonists with traits and talents we wish we had ourselves. I once attended a panel of mystery writers who confessed that their heroines all were younger, thinner, smarter and braver than their creators. To that list, I'd add that mine possesses an aptitude for art that I lack.

I love art. I'm drawn to colors and lines and forms. I admire a well-wrought painting or sculpture or an object finely crafted from clay or glass. But as much as I wish it were otherwise, my own efforts to produce art are clumsy at best. So for me, it's an interest but not really a hobby.

It's an interest I come by naturally. I come from a family of artists. My grandfather made his living as a commercial artist in the days when ads and magazine articles were illustrated with paintings rather than photos. My grandmother was also a prolific painter. As a child I loved to visit their home, where they both maintained their studios, because it was filled with creative energy. My mom painted and drew and made amazing costumes, and my sister is a graphic designer. But the visual arts gene was not passed along to me, so I'm delighted that Jess possesses it.

I think of Jess's paintings at semi-abstract, often inspired by nature. The one she's working on in Snow Angel is "a wintry swirl of snow and sky—azure, ice blue and indigo." But I don't describe her art in detail. Better to let the reader paint the pictures for themselves in their minds.

When I'm at an art fair or gallery, I'll sometimes study the paintings and ask myself, "Could that be one that Jess might have done?" I rarely answer "yes," though occasionally I see one that comes close. Like any artist, she has her own distinctive style.

Art and private investigation may seem like very different enterprises, but Jess doesn't think so. To her, they are both a means for discovering something that is true about life, the world, the human condition. To me, they are both integral parts of her, blending into a character that I'm delighted to be getting to know.

Comments

[Michael A. Black]

I hope Jess is able to integrate her artistic talent into her investigative work, Peggy. I did a few sketches of suspects when I was on the job. Well, one of them was a sketch of a car.

[Margaret Lucke]

Jess's art is an integral part of her, Mike, so in its way it's an integral part of any investigation she undertakes. But sketching suspects and their cars is a great idea.

[Carole Price]

I love art and art galleries, but can barely draw a straight line with a ruler. I would like to draw cartoons, but alas . . .