Rembrandt and IWSG Day and NaNoWriMo

Rembrandt exhibition photos...

I took these photos with my phone, but even if I'd had our new camera with us, I doubt I could have done the drawings justice. They're so detailed, so finely drawn and made, that only seeing them in person gives the full effect. Each one is nearly 400 years old yet looks as though it was made yesterday.

Many of these are etchings, made on copper plate, rather than drawn with ink on paper, which makes their level of detail all the more striking.


Visit the Rembrandt site for clearer images of some of these etchings.

I hope they can add some inspiration on Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!

Especially as this is the first week of NaNoWriMo! The story I'm trying to draft this year has no proper title, but because the first image came to me in a dream, and it happened to be in a car wash, I'm calling it Car Wash Murder Mystery.

It's my first attempt at a mystery, a genre I've enjoyed reading for years.
A man and a woman meet at a car wash and fall in love. Theirs is a whirlwind courtship 35 years in the making -- they've been waiting all their lives, without knowing it, to finally come together, all thanks to a broken down car.
Sounds like a happily ever after. Yet three days after they've met, during a weekend getaway in the Alps, the world-famous chef at their hotel is found dead.
Suicide of a celebrity? A personal murder? Or something more...
As threats to their lives come swifter and closer, the couple's new found love is put to the ultimate test. How well can we know another human being? How long does it take to establish trust?
How many secrets do we keep?

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo?

Comments

Nicola said…
Good luck with your NaNo Mystery, Deniz. I love the title :) Great pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Deniz ... yes good luck with your murder mystery - a fun change ... love the idea of the Alps and food - not so sure about the car-wash .. but could be washing the blood away.

Brilliant you've seen the Rembrandt art works ... I did a talk on him and wrote a great deal about his illustrations -they were more important in his era than the paintings we admire today. I learnt a lot!

Good luck with NaNo .. cheers Hilary
Jen said…
Hi Deniz!

Thank you for sharing the pictures from the Rembrandt exhibit. I understand the frustration of trying to communicate the beauty of a work of art in a photograph. When I saw van Gogh years ago, I remember wishing I'd been able to take a photo (they weren't allowed) but I knew there was no way a picture could convey the majesty of his work. You just have to see the great artists in person.

Good luck with NaNo! And I love the new novel idea. I love murder mysteries. Have fun!

~Jen
Diane Burton said…
Loved the pictures. Your murder mystery title sounds like fun. Enjoy NaNo and good luck.
Chrys Fey said…
Three days after meeting and they are on a getaway together? My, my. ;) Good luck with NaNo and your new mystery story!
Car Wash Murder Mystery has a nice ring to it. Glad you were inspired for NaNo.
Old pen and ink drawing are so amazing.
I love the sound of your new story.
There are so many possibilities/twists you can incorporate as you go along.
Good luck with NaNoWriMo! Break a pencil! Shred a notebook!
Zan Marie said…
I love the drawings! You probably knew that already. ;-)

As for the mystery--bring it on! I cant' wait to see how it plays out.
Nas said…
All the best with your NaNo mystery Deniz!
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks so much, all!