More Ash Than Smoke

The paintings you see above are introductory chapter illustrations for my novel in progress, More Ash Than Smoke. Currently, 11 paintings are completed out of a projected series of 20.

A second-wave feminist gives an iconic performance while planning to sabotage a beauty pageant... An island floats upon the dreams of the sailors who capture it... Two film industry special effects experts lead a covert operation as the royal army attempts to save the English countryside in WWII... And the crusades of a misfit surf gang in the small town of Jupiter, Florida, are just a handful of the events that bring about the life of surfboard shaper turned artist, Nash “Ozzie” Deighton.

We get to know Ozzie as a hyper-imaginative young boy before he sets out to find a series of letters and fictional short stories left to him posthumously by his grandfather. The fantastical stories parallel the lives of the novel's supporting characters and contain metaphorical snippets of wisdom to offer the young man guidance through turbulent times.

More Ash Than Smoke is about love, the pursuit of art, and escape. The project explores themes of loss, abuse, violence, abandonment, homelessness, sexuality, death, and depression. While these topics propel the narrative forward, it’s their antithesis of compassion, community, love, and the myth of independence—that delivers a rewarding sense of resolve. The novel contains some poetic surf-wax, a lot of spilled paint, and plenty of stumbling fingers that trip over other's bodies. It’s romantic, maybe funny, tragic in parts, probably kind of dark, definitely dramatic, warmly fantastical, and contains all my ADHD-ridden guts.

I can proudly say that the manuscript is based on real events but is also largely fictional. And while the fiction is LARGE, it’s also probably more accurate than the realism. Sorry, you’ll have to actually read it to discover the notes of its nectar, but I can say that it unfolds in my hometowns of New Hope, PA, and Jupiter, Florida, while also containing cameos by the Jersey Shore, NYC, England, and Barcelona.

The novel contains 20 full-color paintings that describe the events of the book and represent the artistic work of its main character. The illustrations offer a visual entrance into Ozzie’s mind, with each painting interpreting specific events within the novel.

The manuscript is in its 6th draft and is currently being reviewed by a group of critical readers for feedback and editorial notes. The project has also captured the interest of an outside party to create a theatrical episodic audio production of the manuscript. My goal as the creator and author of this project is to:

Present the original visual artworks of the project along with the launch of a hardbound, first-edition limited series printing of the manuscript that includes reproductions of the artworks in the main locations where the story takes place: New Hope, PA, New York, and Jupiter, Florida.
Produce the audio version of the manuscript before the softcover release to promote sales of the book's national release.
Travel to different locations along with select artworks to promote and sell the book in order to continue pursuing a life that I love while making art and writing more books.

If you or someone you know is interested in the project and would like to discuss literary or gallery representation, please don’t hesitate to contact me.