The Art in “The Bird that Sang in Color”

In Chapter Two of The Bird That Sang in Color, Donna watches Vincent playing a dulcimer in his room while listening to one of his favorite bands, The Incredible String Band. The instrument’s delicate, intricate tones mirror Vincent’s own

In Chapter Three of The Bird That Sang in Color, Donna challenges Vincent’s decision to accept a baking job, insisting that he could achieve so much more. About a week later, she tastes the homemade bread he has baked and marvels at “how four

I chose this image as the cover of The Bird That Sang in Color because, more than any other picture in Vincent’s sketchbook, it captured his true essence. He was simple—not in the sense of lacking intelligence, but in the most beautiful ways.

One of the pictures Donna discovers in her brother’s sketchbook depicts Vincent during his protesting days. As someone who has personally participated in many anti-war demonstrations, I am deeply moved by this drawing. War, I believe, is the

When Donna discovers the sketch of Vincent playing a penny whistle in his sketchbook, she is instantly transported back to her childhood. She remembers the time her brother gave her one of these simple tin flutes, a small but meaningful gift

Some of the pictures in Vincent’s sketchbook, like the one featured here, remain uncolored, leaving Donna to wonder whether her brother had planned to add color later. The simplicity of these sketches, however, captures as much emotion as any

This is the third picture Donna discovers in Vincent’s sketchbook. It reminds her of a time after Vincent began working at the town bakery, when he bought a telescope and invited her over to explore the night sky. He guided her through the

The second picture Donna discovers in Vincent’s sketchbook depicts him as a child playing the mandolin. She is struck by his stance—one foot forward—which seems to reveal his unassuming, humble nature. With just a few simple lines, Vincent

This is the first picture in Vincent’s sketchbook that Donna discovers in The Bird That Sang in Color. Music is woven into the image—albums surround Vincent—but the drawing also captures another kind of music: the music of childhood. A time

Above is a drawing of a character from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. In Chapter Three of my newest novel, The Bird That Sang in Color, Donna discovers her brother Vincent creating this sketch. The theme of art runs throughout the