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

Portraits of Children~ A New Status Symbol

The essence of childhood is fleeting and too soon a memory. From the artist’s point of view, capturing an essence as elusive as time is an intriguing purpose to paint a portrait. But amid young parents, there is a burgeoning trend to commission artistic interpretations of their children. Child portraiture is “the new status symbol,” according to Boston Home Magazine.

I had the pleasure of being included as one of three artists showcased in the spring issue of Boston Home, in an article titled Different Strokes. Each artist offered their rendition of two brothers, children of the magazine’s senior editor, Julie Suratt. I chose to work in pastel because I find the medium especially well suited to describe the elusive nature of childhood.

There are aesthetic and practical reasons to commission a portrait in pastel. Pastel is solid pigment in stick form, which provides extensive versatility. From the aesthetic viewpoint, the artist might select a skillful interweaving of pigment forming visible gradations of color and tone to imply movement and expression of time. Pastel may be applied broadly, as solid mass or advantaged for the linear qualities. The pastel medium can be handled with bold panache or the utmost delicacy, granting the artist a varied repertoire of expression.

From a practical standpoint, the pigments don’t need drying time. Adjustments can be efficiently made; timesaving for the artist translates to cost savings for the person commissioning the portrait. Unlike oil paintings, pastels don’t need final varnishing. They can be matted and framed immediately.

Artist portraits of children become family heirlooms. With Mother’s Day approaching, Boston Home Magazine’s article is timely. Portraits of children are thoughtful, treasured gifts for mothers, and grandmothers, too.

Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative landscape, still life, 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 the artist’s original paintings on tumbled marble tile murals and coasters, fine art prints and note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Brothers, by Melody Phaneuf, 20 x 15 pastel

Commission a portrait by Melody Phaneuf
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Related~

• Different Strokes, Boston Home Magazine
• Affordable Luxury: Children Portraits, New Status Symbol
• Slideshow of Pastel Portraits by Melody Phaneuf

Fragrant Delight~ Balm For The Spirit

If you’re anything like me, you find it a challenge to keep a buoyant and clear mind in the face of constant negative news. I busily go through my day, trying to keep my focus positive, but the sights and sounds in my periphery subliminally seep into my consciousness.

Soothing oneself with beauty is a balm for the spirit. I've often sat in the Museum’s Impressionist gallery to drink in the color and the joie de vivre with which those artists painted. My mood brightens; I defy anyone to brood in the midst of Impressionist paintings.

It is this understanding of imagery’s power that calls many artists to create. The action of creation is, in itself supremely pleasurable but it is the wish to share this delight with others that is the true motivator. For many of us, filling the world with beauty is our service work, an attempt to change minds and lighten hearts.

The painting, Fragrant Delight, exudes abundance and joy. Rich turquoise contrasts vibrant pink and showcases lush garden roses. The intensity of the light causes crisp reflections and pink echoes to radiate from the exuberant blooms. Ripe peaches add golden notes, which augment the symphonic color scheme. A circular composition structures the feeling of wholeness; flowers and fruit, so freely given by Nature cultivate the sense of abundance. A contemporary mandala, Fragrant Delight is a visual antidote to a world rocked with turbulence, harshness, and scarcity.

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

Fragrant Delight, by Melody Phaneuf, is a 36 x 34 oil painting. Gicleé reproductions on canvas and fine art tile coasters of Fragrant Delight are available at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Related~

• The Nature of Aesthetic Experience
• Role of Aesthetics in Our Environment
• Color Promotes Happiness

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Violet~ Trending With Color

Symbolic of royalty, violet or purple, is on trend in decorating. In challenging economic times, what could be more comforting than living with color fit for a king?

As I consider the color’s various associations with serenity, mysticism, and creativity, I am reminded of a report I wrote about Phoenicia in the third grade. At that tender age, Phoenician culture fascinated me, particularly its artistry. Ancient mariners, it was the Phoenicians who extracted indigo dye from mollusks, using it as a means of barter to build wealth. The rare and treasured color was affordable only to royal families.

To a colorist, violet’s wealth is in its balance of opposing forces. It is combination of two primary colors, red and blue. Red’s qualities are active and advancing; blue is passive and receding. Tension and equilibrium of these qualities offer subtle, expressive possibilities to the artist, decorator, and landscape designer.

The painting, entitled Violet, explores the abundance of variation within this single hue. Subtle shifts in value, intensity, and color temperature cause pleasant stimulation in the cones of our eyes. Restraint of color allows for exploration of textural contrasts and sharpness versus softness of edge. These visual attributes engage and draw us in, the same way that one focuses to hear a whisper. The elegant aesthetic of Violet is the result of nuance.

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

Violet, is a 20 x 16 Oil Painting by Melody Phaneuf. Fine art prints of this image are available at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop.

Related Links~

• What is Violet?
• Designing With Purple
• All about Violet

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Rhythms and Roses~ In Celebration of Spring

Friday is the first day of spring and it is almost warm enough to work in the garden. The idea of renewal has us adjusting to brighter days, lighter colors and thoughts of new growth. There is a delicacy in the air, a quickening sensation of life force.

Roused by the Muses of Spring, I created Rhythms and Roses. It is one of a series of four paintings inspired by seasonal delight. The delicate color is soothing to our eyes, a gentle emergence from the neutrality of winter months. The split-complementary color scheme is tempered by use of light tints. Spiraling pattern of the spring green carafe and carved detail of the shelf create a sense of movement and growth. Orchestration of soft versus firm edge and echoes of interwoven color throughout Rhythms and Roses establishes a quiet pulse.

Since it’s still a little cool to garden, I attend to spring tidying and redecorating at home. I feel the vernal urge to begin again. And to help me encourage the Muses of Spring, Rhythms and Roses is now gracing the mantel.

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

Rhythms And Roses, part of The Rhythms Series, is a 24 x 17 Oil Painting by Melody Phaneuf. Fine art prints and handmade notecards of this image are available at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Related Links~

• Freshen Your Home for Spring
• Collecting Art
• Tips on Hanging Art
• Ideas on Displaying Art

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Dawn, Bass Rocks

Transition. Nature is waking up; the delicate pink of the early morning skies are lightly tinged with diaphanous orange, a glowing promise of warmer days to come. This scene is why I call Gloucester home; I remain in the alluring contrast of rugged coast against ethereal skies and ever-changing sea.

At dawn, Bass Rocks frames a gentle sea but the granite teeth expose the ocean’s many moods. It is a delightful place to paint at the moment; tranquility dominates. I am reminded of a name from a childhood spent with mythology books—Genius Loci— there is a spirit here, animating this place and I am bonded to it as I paint.

We have filled the empty spaces of the landscape as quickly as possible with things~ buildings, shopping plazas, harsh lighting. As convenient as that may seem, it has done much to desensitize us to the wild beauty of the world. Bass Rocks, Gloucester remains a sacred place, likely protected by the Spirits we’ve forgotten.

Melody Phaneuf is an award-winning artist, painting on location in Gloucester and at Fenway Studios in Boston, which, she deems a perfect balance. She is a regular exhibitor at Northshore Arts in Gloucester and The Guild of Boston Artists, Boston.

Dawn, Bass Rocks~ Oil Painting by Melody Phaneuf, 20 x 16

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Links~

• Genius Loci
• Myths of The Sea
• Cape Ann Museum

Meditation on Inner Treasure~ Relics of The Sea

Evocative of a world of voyaging, treasure, and discovery, Relics of the Sea addresses a mystical as well as a decorative perspective. Subtle lighting and gradated color give the painting a misty, mysterious essence. This silvery, pensive quality of the light invites revelation.

Voyager of the collective unconscious, Carl Jung believed that our dreams showed us parts of the mind that are hidden and need to be brought into conscious recognition. He noted that fairy tales and myths expressed this deep need. Myths of the sea tell tales of voyagers, lulled into battle with mysterious forces and angry Gods, emerging as triumphant heroes. In the depths of the sea, discoveries are made and priceless treasures are uncovered.

In Relics of The Sea, my intention was to go beyond the decorative, to fathom a deep level of attention and open an unconscious awareness. The layers of woven color and gentle pendulum-like movements of the eye through the painting’s composition sooth us and give rhythm to our breathing. Round, transparent glass floats, etched by their journey, focus our attention and invite us to dwell deeper within. Accents of the various object's edges build cyclical patterns, symbolizing mythical rather than linear time. The mood evoked is contemplative; a design for introspection and self-discovery.

Melody Phaneuf is a Boston artist, working at historic Fenway Studios. She resides in Gloucester, Ma, where, the enchantment of the sea captivates her imagination.

Relics of The Sea, oil painting by Melody Phaneuf, 32 x 24

Studio visits are welcomed. Please visit our website, MelodyTheArtist.com

Links~

• Visual Meditation
• Jung~ Myths, Dreams, Symbols
• Tales of The Sea