Melanie's Journey

Featured Artist – Conor O’Brien

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Melanie

Since I have joined EBSQ and FineArtAmerica, I have been meeting many wonderful artists! I thought it would be fun to add an occasional “Featured Artist” post and introduce you to some of them.

I would like to start with Conor O’Brien. He’s the one that gave me this great idea as he features many artists on his blog.

I was first introduced to Conor in a thread where we were giving each other critique. He posted this painting and before I could evaluate it, I found it really touched me. As I began to analyze it, I was really impressed with the composition and how it incorporated all the things I’ve been learning.

Connor says, “To me, art is an enigma which wants to be solved. It invites viewers to analyse, scrutinise and interpret it endlessly to decipher its true meaning. Art is one person’s perspective, an expression of emotion, something that challenges and forces others to look twice. I tend to concentrate on the human form in my artwork, and use it to depict different moods and emotions to connect with the viewer. “

One thing I really love about Conor’s gallery is that his paintings all have very deep meanings and he shares a bit of that to get me started as I view his art. As I’ve always said, great art makes me “feel”. Conor’s definitely does that.

You can see and purchase Conor’s work by clicking the following links:

Website:
http://www.cobartist.com
Blog:
http://www.cobartist.blogspot.com/
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ConorOBrienArtwork
Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/#!/COBartist
Zazzle:
http://www.zazzle.com/cobartist

Filed under: Art | Tagged: Featured Artist | Leave a Comment »

ConGRADulations

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Melanie

Chris and I at Graduation

I’m may be very late in writing this post but I wanted to share my happiness over my youngest child graduating from High School.

Getting his diploma

I’m so proud of Chris. He has become a remarkable young man. He spent his last two years in High School taking college courses at our local community college. Just yesterday, he and his Dad went to Multnomah to register for classes. He’ll be majoring in Bible and Music.

First Day of Kindergarten

I can’t believe all my babies are grown and I’ve completed my schooling responsibilities. That was a lot of years working in classrooms, transporting to and from school, participating on school committees, attending school programs and projects and teaching classes at home! It was a great time of life – many good memories – and I’m very thankful for those years.

Celebrating after Graduation

Chris and Kailey, his adorable girlfriend of two years

I love you Christopher!

Filed under: Family | Tagged: Family, Son | Leave a Comment »

Christmas in July SALE

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Melanie

July 10-25 - Only in my Etsy Shop

Use Code “CHRISTMASJULY” and get 12% OFF your entire purchase

Use code “SANTASHIP” and get FREE Shipping!

Visit my Etsy Shop today!

And I still have 9 coupons left for prints, framed prints, canvas prints and notecards at my new website.

Use code XUUTHP.

Filed under: Art | Tagged: Art, Sale | Leave a Comment »

Enchanted Butterfly

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Melanie

When I wrote my post on my new painting “Enchanted Roses”, I realized that I had never written a post about this new painting “Enchanted Butterfly”. It’s 11″x14″ and it’s painted on Hot Press. This is how I was able to get this wonderful marbled look in the background. I am learning to love hot press more and more! It’s listed here on Etsy.

I also have it available on my new website where it can be purchased as a print, a framed print, a canvas print and even notecards. (I’m offering 20% off to the first 10 customers – use code XUUTHP)

Does it seem like I’m not sharing very much personally in my blog writing right now? If it does… well… I’m not. That’s because I’m facing some dark days and I have to let them take their course and process before I can really open up. Suffice it to say, last February when I visited Dr. ME/CFS, I had hopes that things might be looking up a bit by summer. They aren’t.

I continue to get worse, have more symptoms and less ability to think, get out and be myself.

My times of painting are short, but are real moments of refuge. These short moments have allowed me to develop a new style of painting, and they allow me concentrate on something other than feeling so ill.

I will share more as I am able, and I am so thankful that I can paint.

We’ve set up our spare room as a guest room/art room. My parents bought me a little art table and it’s been a huge blessing because I can leave everything set up… walk in and paint for a few minutes and go back to lay down. We’re just now framing many of my paintings and using the walls in this room as a display area. I’ll share pictures when it’s done!

Thanks for sticking by me and for your warm notes of support!

Filed under: Art, Health | Tagged: CFS, Enchanted, ME/CFS, New Painting, Painting | Leave a Comment »

Enchanted Roses

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Melanie

Those of you who have known me a long time, know that I love roses! As soon as we bought our new home, I was scouting out a spot for my rose garden, I began researching and buying roses. I became very partial to Old Garden Roses, and English Roses (which are modern roses bred with Old Garden Roses). I’ve entered lots of roses shows and won ribbons and trophy’s.

So it seems a bit strange that I have waited so long to feature roses in one of my paintings. I think the problem has been that I have studied the intricacies of roses – for the rose shows – and I am not a realistic painter, so catching the impression of a rose is a real challenge.

I’ve had this reference picture for over year. I took it in my rose garden of a English Rose. Finally, this week, I got brave enough to attempt an “Enchanted” painting featuring roses.

Usually an enchanted painting requires many layers of painting for the background. After the first layer on this new painting, I loved the soft glowing pastel look and left it alone, It has my signature background, enchanted speckles and three pink old fashioned roses.

It’s for sale Here on Etsy, and you can purchase prints, framed prints, stretched canvas and notecards Here on my Website. Use code XUUTHP on my website and if you’re one of the first 10 customers to my website, you’ll receive 20% OFF!

Thanks for stopping by

Filed under: Art | Tagged: Art, Enchanted, New Painting, Painting, Roses | Leave a Comment »

20% OFF New Website

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Melanie

I’ve opened a new website for my artwork. It’s connected with Fine Art America and they offer prints, framed prints, canvas prints and notecards made with my artwork.

I haven’t ordered any yet, but I have heard from other artists that the prints are fantastic. And you can add a mat, or a double mat and a huge variety of frames. You can also order Canvas prints with either black or white edges, or with the print around the edges!

I’m including some artistic photography as well as some of my paintings. Come by and visit! You can leave me comments, Facebook Like, Stumble my art, and even tweet it for me.

AND… I have created a special code for the first 10 customers. Use code XUUTHP when you check out and you will get 20% OFF your total order! (good for the first 10 who use it , or through 9/14/11 – whichever comes first)

CLICK HERE to visit my new website (or click the banner above).

Thanks for all of your support!

Filed under: Art | Tagged: Art, Sale, Website | Leave a Comment »

Moving In!

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Melanie

Well… here I am, moving into my new “blog” home!

The hardest part about moving is staying organized in the process. The second hardest thing is getting used to the changes.

If you subscribe to my blog, you probably saw my post last week that I was in the process of moving my blog to a free WordPress.com blog. For the past year, I’ve had a self hosted WordPress blog and it includes a lot more “whistles and bells” than this free blog.

But, because of continuing decline in my illness and some sporadic blogging as a result, I’ve decided it was time to downsize.

I’ve mapped my domain here so it’s the same link as the old blog – it just looks a little different. But, to my dismay, I found that once I mapped my domain, all the pictures on every single post disappeared. Yesterday I went through 3 pages of 9, trying to find what I originally had in the post, uploading new pictures and cleaning up my posts. 3 down, 6 to go!

Unfortunately, as I do this, I think some of you who subscribe to emails, may receive so of my old posts in your mail box. I apologize that for that. Maybe you will see some of interest to you that you didn’t see before. But please be patient as this should only take a couple of days, and then you will only receive new posts.

I no longer have my artwork for sale here on my blog. But I do have a new website on Fine Art America and I will writing a post soon to introduce that and give you a code for 20%. I still plan on sharing as much as I am able about life, living with chronic illness, art, parenting and anything else I find interesting. I also still have a couple of reviews to write, and I will occasionally still offer giveaways.

I’d love to have you come post a “House Warming” greeting. It’s always nice to hear from those of you who visit my blog.

I’m off to continue “unpacking” and “reorganizing”.

TTFN

Filed under: Life | Tagged: Blog, New | 3 Comments »

Enchanted White Orchid

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Melanie

I received 2 beautiful orchids from my daughter and her sweet boyfriend for my birthday! I have wanted to grow orchids for several years now (probably goes hand in hand with my love of Kauai).

When they walked in with a pink and white orchid – not only was I thrilled, but I knew they would end up in some paintings. I took some great reference photo’s and the first thing I painted was a little ACEO (you can see it here).

But this past week, I began work on a larger painting of the white orchid.

This is painted on 300lb Artisico Hot Press watercolor paper. It’s my first 300lb, and of course I loved painting on it. I used my gator board and taped it down and I really enjoyed splashing and spattering this beautiful background.

Then I unmasked it and went to work on the orchids. What a task! White flowers are hard in watercolor! You can’t paint white back in… you must “save” your whites. And yet, getting a feel for the shadows and texture of the white petals is challenging.

It’s now listed here on my website and in my Etsy store.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Filed under: Art | Tagged: Art, Enchanted, New, Painting | 2 Comments »

EBSQ and New Kauai Painting

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Melanie

I’ve been very excited this week, as I have finally joined EBSQ and begun setting up my profile!

EBSQ is an online artist community and portfolio site. Our easy-to-use tools empower artists to create a web presence for their art within minutes, allowing you to connect with other artists and art lovers world wide.

EBSQ is made up of artists, photographers, crafters, and people who simply love art. Pretty much every continent is represented. Pretty much every media is represented, too. Our members come from all walks of life. Some are emerging artists. Some went to art school. Some even taught art school.

You can visit my profile by clicking on the EBSQ logo on the right side bar.

I’m also excited today to introduce you to my newest painting. It’s been a long year with little sun here in the Northwest. I find my mind and heart, more and more frequently, going back to my beloved island, Kauai!

On my last trip there, though I took some art supplies, I made it a goal to take lots of reference pictures so I could paint Kauai when I got home.

Tuesday, I spent the whole day painting. I prepared and began to work on a new “Enchanted” painting, and I painted this scene of Bali Hai. It is from one of the reference pictures I took – kayak and all!

Bali Hai was made famous in the musical South Pacific. It’s on the North Shore, and this is looking towards one of the best snorkeling beaches on the island.

You can click the picture to the page where it is for sale!

Thanks for visiting today. Time to get moving… I’m aching to get back into the studio to complete my next painting!

TTFN

Filed under: Art | Tagged: Art, EBSQ, Kauai, New, Painting | 7 Comments »

3 years later – What can I say?

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Melanie

I’m reposting a blog post from 3 years ago.

I am, just today, putting prints of this cross painting in my Etsy Shop (11×14 or 8×10) and I was recalling the amazing experience of painting it. I was experiencing such pain and fatigue. I painted with tears streaming down my cheeks, from the pain and fatigue in my body. But they flowed even more as I thought about what that cross represents, and the pain and fatigue the human body of Jesus experienced as he, the Son of God, gave up his body, to prove God’s deep love for me. I will always remember it!

So here is the post from 3 years ago:

What Can I Say?

Why haven’t I posted a blog in over a week? I just don’t know what to say. I feel miserable and I’m not doing much so I don’t know what else to say. My prayer request today is that I could have enough energy to take a shower. I’m serious!

Amazingly, my stomach has continued to do well, and my Heart Rate is under control thanks to my trip back to Vanderbilt. But the fatigue – and I use that word for lack of something stronger and more descriptive, continues to grab at my feet dragging me to the bottom of the functionality scale.

We’re doing a lot of good research and have contacted some wonderful doctors concerning ME/CFS and there is some exciting research going on concerning the causes and possible treatment of ME/CFS – so you can pray that we understand what we are studying and come to the conclusions that God would have us pursue. This is a long term prayer request.

As some of you know already, and have seen at our church, I was able to paint a large cross painting for Easter. Thank you to all of you who have noticed it and sent compliments to me through Bill.

I must say, it was an amazing experience. Being in a CFS flare, and only have2 weeks to paint it – I pushed so hard, I was often in tears over the exhaustion my body felt and the aches and pains that ensued. But then I would think about the exhaustion and pain Jesus went through out of love for me and I cried harder. It was a very moving experience to paint this cross!

The picture at the top is a front view and here is a slides show of some of the pictures I took while it was in process. It is 5 ft by 3.5 ft and practically filled the living room floor! Most often I had to paint it flat because watercolor is so wet it would drip. This is a special canvas made especially for water media. I hope you enjoy the slide show.

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