Today I’m pleased to bring you my review of the latest novel from contemporary fiction author SL Russell, The Art of Life. Published by Resolute Books in August 2024 this is a compelling and deeply moving story I can recommend to all readers, and not only artists and art lovers.
I’ve only just finished reading The Art of Life and I felt I had to keep reading to the last page, and could not leave it alone, I was so caught up by the creative passion, the relationships and the personal dilemmas of Fen, the main protagonist.
PUBLISHER’S BLURB
Fen Bailey has a comfortable life – but it’s stifling her. She has her husband and family and everything she needs, except a sense of who she is. When she discovers an unconventional art school deep within the Yorkshire Dales, she hopes it may be the key to freeing the artist she used to be and longs to revive. But as she seeks to live and create, disastrous news from home threatens all she has achieved. Torn between her old life and the new, can she fulfil her obligations and still be true to herself? Or will the price of freedom be too high?
MY REVIEW
The Art of Life
By SL Russell
As an artist myself I found this story of restless artist Fen totally absorbing. Frustrated with her unsympathetic, rather conventional, workaholic husband John, who shows no interest whatsoever in the art about which she feels so passionate, Fen escapes on what first seems to be a short exploratory retreat, to an enticing arts centre deep in rural Yorkshire.
The arts centre turns out to be in a very down-at-heel fragile state, in desperate need of major refurbishment, and the owner is facing financial ruin; yet Fen sees the huge potential of this place and loves the area, where she spent childhood holidays. She believes in the centre and in Martha who struggles valiantly on with a place offering so much to creative people. Fen longs to paint a giant triptych based on The Book of Revelations; she begins work in the cold, cavernous space of the barn at the arts centre and meets Liam, a fellow artist who lives a rootless life.
Fen lives in a small cottage belonging to her old friends Mary and Peter and becomes more and more deeply involved in the life here, and the life of the local sheep farm and its brilliant working sheepdog Sadie. At home in the city her increasingly resentful and dissatisfied husband keeps striving for advancement at work and finding excuses not to visit her. Meanwhile her two grown up children are making lives of their own, and though supportive of their mother’s creative passion, they are anxious about her increasing separateness from their father.
Crises in Yorkshire, violence and jealousy at the arts centre, and family tragedy at home break into what started for Fen as a creative idyll and turn her life upside down, as well as the lives of those around her, and the life of the arts centre. I found this a deeply engaging story by a highly accomplished author, several of whose novels I’ve previously read and enjoyed.
Highly recommended.
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About Me
Hello! My name’s Sheila and I write under the pen name of SC Skillman. I live in Warwick with my husband and son, and my daughter currently lives and works in Australia.
I was born and brought up in Orpington, Kent, and have loved writing most of my life. I studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and my first permanent job was as a production secretary with the BBC. Later I lived for nearly five years in Australia before returning to live and work in the UK.
My output includes mystery fiction, and historical and paranormal nonfiction. Each of my nonfiction books is illustrated by 100 original full colour photos, mostly taken by myself, and others by my son and daughter (both talented photographers!)
In March 2023 I was the Nonfiction Adjudicator at the Scottish Association of Writers Annual Conference in Glasgow. I’m a member of the Society of Authors and the Association of Christian Writers.
My nonfiction books on Warwickshire are published by Amberley and include Paranormal Warwickshire, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire and A-Z of Warwick. My next book for Amberley will be: Paranormal Gloucestershire. I also have a new contemporary gothic fantasy novel in progress, called Director’s Cut.
In addition to my published books, I blog weekly on scskillman.com about books and films I love, people and places of inspiration, life, spirituality, history and travel.
I’m also a public speaker and have spoken to many groups and organisations about Paranormal Warwickshire, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire, the quirky tales of Warwick, the art of writing nonfiction, and the power of story. Do get in touch with me if you’d like a speaker for your group!
scskillman.com 