Valentine Reverie

Fragrant Delight by Melody Phaneuf~ Vibrant pink roses exude romance and lush beauty.
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A rose within my heart you are,
My dearest, sweetest, bravest star~

Somehow, in the doldrums of late winter, we manage to kindle a spark of romance. Cupid, the cherubic mischief-maker and sharp shooter, is certain to perk things up a bit. And having been awakened by his darts of passion, we seek to express it by delighting our senses. We behold the perfume and lush beauty of roses, the luxurious embrace of satin upon the skin. We savor chocolate on the palette and resonate the mood with poetry and music.

It is a tribute to our spirit that we find ways to stir from our slumber. Keeping our senses awakened is the essence of aesthetic experience and the reason to surround ourselves, and those we cherish with timeless beauty~

As time goes by from year to year,
One thing is surely true, my dear;
Though decades come and decades go,
Just seeing you sets me aglow.
Your loving heart turns life to play,
As we laugh from day to day.
So I write, and hang my sign,
"Always Be My Valentine."

Wishing you a beautiful Valentine’s Day~ May you be transported by Cupid’s arrow.

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Fragrant Delight, 36 x 34 Oil Painting by Melody Phaneuf is also available in Limited Edition Gicleé on canvas, tumbled marble beverage coasters, and handmade note cards.

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Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative still life, landscape, and portrait paintings. Her paintings are regularly on view at The Guild of Boston Artists, 162 Newbury Street; at Fenway Studios, Boston by appointment; and North Shore Art in Gloucester from May through October. Phaneuf ‘s paintings have been exhibited at The National Arts Club in New York City, Galerie Herouet in Paris, and with Art du Monde, in Japan.

Melody The Artist Home, founded with photographer and color specialist, Martha DiMeo, features Phaneuf’s original oil paintings on tumbled marble tile murals and beverage coasters, fine art prints, and handmade note cards.

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Musings on Cupid

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Calling

Calling, 28 x 30 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf, at Boston International Art Show

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What is a calling? An awakening occurs and one becomes lured by an attraction, perhaps a mystery to be solved. Given enough attention, the attraction becomes desire, a commitment to solve the mystery, to nurture the idea. Synchonicities and circumstances convince one that this is their purpose. This energizes and provides the strength to follow through.

These are the musings that inspired the painting, Calling. I was intrigued by the broken plaster cast of Cupid, without his wings. Who is Cupid without his wings? Is he any less a matchmaker or is his job just harder? His defiant expression made me certain that transportation hadn’t altered his aim. I fell in love.

Called by the shofar, Cupid is poised, surrounded by a leafy Arcadian memento. A quiver of brushes is at his disposal; his gaze is firm and his aim will not falter. He will always be Cupid, answering the call, inspiring acts of beauty and love.

Calling, 28 x 30 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf

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Calling will be on view at Boston International Fine Art Show held at The Cyclorama, 239 Tremont Street, from November 12 -15.

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Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative still life, landscape, and portrait paintings. Phaneuf’s paintings are regularly on view at The Guild of Boston Artists, 162 Newbury Street; at Fenway Studios, Boston by appointment; and North Shore Art in Gloucester from May through October. Phaneuf has exhibited her paintings at The National Arts Club in New York City, Galerie Herouet in Paris, and with Art du Monde, in Japan.

Melody The Artist Home, founded with photographer and color specialist, Martha DiMeo showcases Phaneuf’s original paintings on tumbled marble tile murals and coasters, fine art prints, and handmade notecards.

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Related~

• Boston International Fine Art Show
• About Cupid
• Callings

Making Paintings~ The Calling to Create

Visitors to my studio enjoy seeing a painting in progress. For some, it is a surprise that I work from actual objects rather than inventing the picture. I do invent; it is the spark of an idea that comes together in my mind, then to some scribbles on paper, which explore the visual interpretation of a concept. Then comes the actual arranging of the props I will use for the painting. The more elaborate arrangements take months to paint, partly because I work on several paintings at a time and partly because of the intricacies of finish. There are technical reasons for letting a surface breath for a while as well.

Having collected thousands of props and fabrics to compose paintings, I am adored at flea markets and local antique shops. The figure in the painting, Calling, is a Caproni plaster cast of Cupid who has lost his wings. I purchased it many years ago in the hopes I could have it repaired, but as it turns out, he is perfectly suited for his role in Calling.

I am most inspired by paintings that attempt to communicate an idea. Calling is the story of a creature, played by the plucky Cupid, who is destined for a purpose over which there is no choice. Cupid, himself, has the commitment to expose a point in the heart in others by skillful aiming of his arrow. Once struck, the outpouring of love awakens desire. Here the desire is for the calling, represented by the ram’s horn ~used in timeless deserts for calling fellow Nomads, now pointed toward Cupid’s ear. Brushes, tubes of paint and palette give hints at what this calling is about. The leafy vine gives a sense of ever growing and the chair itself has a carved leaf like design. The contrast of color is arresting, and the arranged shapes of the fabric communicate a buoyant idea.

And what of Cupid’s wings? As it turns out, Cupid has not been without obstacles but has endured. This often happens when divine inspiration comes to the earth plane, but his persistence gives us hope and willingness toward purpose.

Calling is still evolving and is destined for the International Art Show in Boston this fall. If you would like to visit my studio, please call 617 236 4322 or email melody@MelodyTheArtist.com to arrange a time.

Melody Phaneuf is a Boston Artist, working at Fenway Studios. Phaneuf is well known for her evocative still life and landscape paintings and has achieved significant acclaim for portraiture. She has exhibited at Galerie Herouet in Paris, The National Arts Club in New York City, and with Art du Monde, a traveling exposition in Japan. Phaneuf’s paintings are regularly displayed at the Guild of Boston Artists, 162 Newbury Street, Boston, MA.

Melody The Artist Home, founded with photographer and color specialist, Martha DiMeo showcases the artist’s original paintings on tumbled marble tile murals and coasters, fine art prints and note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop


Calling, oil painting in progress by Melody Phaneuf, 30 x 36

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Related~

• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cupid
• The Force of Destiny
• Finding Your Calling