Embracing The New Year

Wishing you Many Blessings & Much Joy in the New Year!

See you next week with some ruminations on Time~

Melody

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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.

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
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Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Christmas Enchantment

Season’s Greeting, Oil Painting by Melody Phaneuf,
available in Open Edition Print, and Handmade Notecards

~

Once upon a time there was wonder at Christmas, the mysterious visit of a red-clad Saint who gifted good children with their heart’s desire. In those by-gone days, toys were made by hand and gifts were wrapped in shimmering papers and embellished with velvet ribbons. Thus it was in my childhood picture books~ all was enchantment.

I do recall being woken in the darkest of nights to a spectacle of colored lights steeped in evergreen fragrance, astonished at the abundance that had suddenly appeared. An empty glass of milk and cookie crumbs were the evidence that Saint Nicholas had found us. Christmas was the best time to be a child.

The painting, Season’s Greeting is an interpretation of Christmas magic. The low major key expresses a sense of wonder with its eye-opening smash of light. The carved horse is reminiscent of an era when toys were made from wood, with loving care. Season’s Greeting is meant to inspire the spirit of Christmas, untarnished, as if seen through the eyes of a child.

Wishing you a wonder-filled Christmas~

Season’s Greeting, 14 x 20 oil painting by Melody Phaneuf, in private collection, Gloucester, MA

Season’s Greeting is available in Open Edition Print, and Handmade Notecards

Make Your Life a Work of Art~
See our complete selection of affordable, artful Holiday Gifts
Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

~

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.

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

~

The Art of Winter ~Winter's Passage II

Winter’s Passage II, 30 x 25 oil painting by Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf

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Silver skies and minor keys~ I love the subtle light of winter days. Neutrality gives way to endless nuances of color within its edges. A blanket of fresh snow unifies the appearance of things and gives much charm to the environment.

Winter’s Passage II is a wintry view of Gloucester, MA from one of her many hills. Little houses seem to hunker down against the blustery weather. The chromatic activity of the sky is mirrored in the harbor below and provides a shimmering backdrop for the seaside village. Typically New England, Winter’s Passage II is an enchanting ensemble of earthly comfort and Nature’s temperament.

Winter’s Passage II, 30 x 25 oil painting by Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf

Winter’s Passage II, is available as an Open Edition Print and as Handmade Note Cards

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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 note cards.

Make Your Life a Work of Art~
See our complete selection of affordable, Artful Gifts
Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

~

Affordable Art ~In The Arts & Crafts Tradition

Botticino Marble becomes the canvas for Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf

Tile Beverage Coasters, Gift Boxed at MelodyTheArtist.com
~

After thirty years of making art at Fenway Studios, I’ve become one of the many threads woven into the fabric of Arts & Crafts lineage displayed by the architecture of our venerable building.

The Arts & Crafts Movement began in late 19th century England, and was largely a reaction to the industrial manufacturing of goods. There was a sense that industrialization threatened to create a soulless world. Mass production was certain to dull the senses with visual monotony and lack of variation. Hand crafted goods, simplicity of design, and beauty in the environment were the banner of the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Though noble in its aspirations, the Arts & Crafts Movement fell short in its homeland. The cost of hand-hewn goods was prohibitive for all but the wealthiest class. It took American ingenuity to advance a unique combination of machined elements and hand finish. Machine production of core aspects defrayed costs and made them affordable to the middle class.

Such innovations gave rise to the workshops of Gustave Stickley, Rookwood Pottery, and Roycroft Press. It was a time of great aesthetic awareness and appreciation of honest craft and simple beauty.

I view the Arts & Crafts Movement as part of my heritage and take pride in creating a line of affordable art. Fine Art tiles, prints, and handmade note cards are little touches of artistry, well within the reach of all. It is my belief that everyone deserves to live with beauty.

~

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 note cards.

Make Your Life a Work of Art~
See our complete selection of Artful Gifts
Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Related~

• Elbert Hubbard, An American Original
• The Stickley Museum
• The Roycrofters
• About Fenway Studios

Thanksgiving Reflections

Melody Phaneuf painting at Fenway Studios
~

"Blessed is the woman who has found her work" ~Variation on Thomas Carlyle

After a very busy autumn, a day of peaceful Thanksgiving is most welcome. I love the quiet moments and an opportunity to break from routine and spend time with those most dear. There will be a gentle rhythm, cozy fire, and ambrosial abundance at the table.

In this time of reflection, I am very grateful that I pursued the Artist’s life. Creating art is splendid harmony, a calibration of heart, hands, and soul. Painting transforms feelings into decorative motifs that enrich the lives of others. I often hear, with much delight, that my paintings are focal points and bring tranquility, sparkle, or make people smile.

I appreciate and thank you who read my weekly offerings. Wishing you warm Thanksgiving Blessings, and hoping they make you smile.

~

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.

See our complete selection of Artful Gifts~
Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Painting Color And Light~ Mysteries

Mysteries, 24 x 18 Oil Painting by Melody Phaneuf, Boston Artist

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Merlin pursued the maid Ninevah, and would not let her rest~
Tales of the Roundtable

Painting light, like painting wind, is impossible. The artist can only paint the effects of those powerful causes~ the movement caused by the wind, the color caused by the light.

Light is has an infinite repertoire of color combinations. Color appears elusive because light is moving, caressing, breathing. For many artists, capturing the essence of this quality is much like searching for the Holy Grail, we just keep pursuing the path.

In the oil still life painting, Mysteries, the light is diffuse and dusty. The shadows land quietly, and settle into place. The neutrality is alive with contrary combinations of warm and cool. The color intervals are small, yet subtle subdivisions give infinite variety.

Mysteries is a quiet painting; the color and lighting call for contemplation. The lyrical composition causes the eye movement through the painting to be gently paced. Mysteries invites the viewer to an intimate observation of light.

Mysteries, 24 x 18 Oil Painting by Melody Phaneuf, Boston Artist

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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 note cards.

Looking for affordable art?
See our complete selection of Hostess Gifts~
Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Painting Amsterdam~ The Liliegracht

Along The Leliegracht, oil painting by Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf
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The Jordaan is a most aesthetically pleasing section of Amsterdam. The variety of architectural detail delights the eye and satisfies an artist’s soul. Effort to make practical things beautiful was clearly in high regard when the buildings bordering the Lily Canal were constructed.

The painting, Along The Leliegracht, shows several Dutch gable treatments~ step, bell, cornice and spout variations are seen in this one snippet of the neighborhood. The Jordaan is rich in adornment, which can be fully appreciated by the measured pace of travel by foot, bicycle, or boat.

Before visiting The Netherlands, I was convinced that skies in Dutch paintings were invented, but they actually do look this way. The cumulus clouds mean that weather can change quickly, from sun to rain in an instant. For a landscape painter, small studies work best.

Along The Leliegracht, is the first in the series of enlarged paintings completed from the studies of my trip to The Netherlands in July. Along The Liliegracht will be on exhibit at Vose Galleries, 238 Newbury St, Boston during the month of December.

Along The Leliegracht, 20 x 16 oil painting by Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf

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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.

Looking for affordable art?
See our complete selection of Hostess Gifts~
Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Related~

• The Jordaan, Amsterdam
• Vose Galleries, Boston

Melody Phaneuf's work can be viewed at The Boston International Fine Art Show, November 12-15, Booth 12

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.

Looking for affordable art?
See our complete selection of Hostess Gifts~
Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Related~

• Boston International Fine Art Show
• About Cupid
• Callings

Artistic Inspiration~ Harvest Suite

Harvest Suite, 30 x 25 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf
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Wood tones and earthenware evoke a sense of rustic comfort in Harvest Suite. The diminished intensity of color in the painting is quiet, holding our attention for its subtlety rather than its vibrancy. Soft, diffused lighting caresses the objects, nurturing a comforting ambiance.

The carved shelf reminded me of a favorite inn in Brittany, which inspired the theme. Once a hunting lodge, the inn’s mahogany dining room was chiseled with oak leaves and motifs that echo the enchanted forest nearby. I wanted to express my feelings and recollections awakened by the shelf’s pattern. Hand-hewn pottery in butterscotch and mauve, fruits of the earth and simplicity of design suggest a delicious earthy coziness. A tendril of ribbon contributes slow, meandering movement, interweaving the design.

Harvest Suite may not reveal its Breton roots to the viewer but the painting’s agreeable color, texture, and simplicity nourishes the visual appetite.

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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. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Harvest Suite, 30 x 25 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf

Harvest Suite is available in fine art prints and handmade notecards.

See our complete selection of Autumn Décor and Hostess Gifts~
Online shopping at http://MelodyTheArtist.com/shop


Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Colorful Vibrations

Yellow, 25 x 20 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf
~

It is said that everything in the universe was created by vibration. Quivering movement is the force that animates life. The artist’s use of color in painting can cause visual vibration and create an activating force.

A solitary color is present in the oil painting Yellow, yet the variations in value and chroma stimulate one another to cause an infinite array of subordinate hues. Pale violet, reds, and green punctuate the background as our eyes attempt to stay focused on the deep gold of the local color. Echoes of the brilliant yellow flowers and fruit dance across the surface causing a delightful interplay between background and subject matter. Our eyes appreciate this pulsation; they translate it into the breathing rhythm of life.

We live in an ocean of vibration. Artists endeavor to perceive subtleties in the visual world and trace effects to their cause. For many artists, the calling is to make the invisible realm visible.

~

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. Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Yellow, 25 x 20 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf

Yellow is available in fine art prints and hand made notecards.

Looking for affordable art?
See our complete selection of Hostess Gifts~
Online shopping at http://MelodyTheArtist.com/shop


Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Hues of Autumn

Hues of Autumn, 18 x 25 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf
~

As the days shorten and the temperature cools, we long for brightness and warmth. In the still life painting called Hues of Autumn, warm and active colors invite us to linger in a gyrating composition, expressive of the season's lively spirit.

Hues of Autumn cultivates positive emotions by its buoyant design. The verticality of the picture combined with high major key and wide chromatic range engage our attention, its contrasts seeding our exuberance. There is an animation in the earthen jug, a sense of impending movement. Textural patterning in the fabric begins an upward motion that is bolstered by the placement of oak leaves leading us to pomegranates and through the handles of the vessel. The impact of our visual experience rhymes with the variety provided by Nature's most stimulating season.

Hues of Autumn, 18 x 25 oil painting by Boston Artist Melody Phaneuf

Hues of Autumn, is available in fine art prints and handmade note cards.

Looking for affordable art?
See our complete selection of Hostess Gifts~
Online shopping at http://MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

~

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 note cards.

Online shopping at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

~

Time of Seasonal Light

Season of Light, 30 x 25 oil painting by Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf
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Afterglow. An appealing balance of warm and cool, light and shadow, and the variety of threadbare trees dancing in the sun make this time of the year a visual delight. All things seem to smile in the contentment of temporal balance.

In Gloucester, it is a magical time, quiet except for Nature’s presence. I feel engaged with the landscape during these intervals; we are in dialog about our existence here while recollecting eternity. This world is about movement and the thrill of change, the vibrations of sound and light.

What joy it is to paint landscape here, by the slow and steady rhythm of the sea. I watch the final stretch of the trees, along with an audience of charmed white houses. We are bonded in our experience, part of the continuity illuminated by the seasonal glow. I am called to chronicle this moment for others and to remember its brief existence in time.

Season of Light, 30 x 25 landscape painting of Gloucester by Melody Phaneuf

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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 note cards.

Looking for affordable art?
See our complete selection of Hostess Gifts~
Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Artful Living

The Bridge, Good Harbor oil painting by Melody Phaneuf
is based on angular movement and contrasts round with pointed shapes
~

What does it mean to live an artful life? For me, it is being surrounded with color, shape, and textures that are pleasing. I love pattern, colored glass, and certain combinations of objects that vary enough to create an interesting moment but have a certain unity between them. I love looking at the ocean from a violet living room framed by a light warm grey. And how a few spots of pomegranate red can activate an otherwise cool and passive room.

The way in which one arranges things can create harmonic or contrasting rhythms. Eye movement creates an evocative response. It contributes to how we feel in a space. How we feel can be affected by seasonal changes of temperature and light. I often move a painting or print when I need a change of color or to want to develop a new rhythm. It’s much easier than repainting the room every time and it gives me infinite variety.

The movement within a painting, tapestry or a rug pattern can help unify or create chaos in a room. If you are bored, add more angular movement; if you are agitated, slow, full curves will sooth. Similarities calm, while Contrasts excite. And forming a gentle gradation between contrasts will bridge the gap.

~

The Bridge, Good Harbor by Melody Phaneuf, 28 x 20 oil painting

The Bridge, Good Harbor is available in fine art prints, marble tile coasters, and handmade note cards

~

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 note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist,com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Be a facebook fan of MelodyTheArtist.com/shop
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston
Commission a painting by Melody Phaneuf

Portrait of Contradiction~ Soldier Boy

Soldier Boy

Pastel Portrait by Melody Phaneuf
~

Artists typically use the human form to express emotions, ideas, and states of mind. In portraiture facial expression, costume, and setting can communicate more about the person than the likeness.

Soldier Boy is a study in contradiction. The soldier's penetrating gaze is sometimes stern, sometimes gentle. There is a proud austerity to the pose; the sitter appears rigid, yet somehow vulnerable. Somber tones in the background blend into the uniform giving a narrow variation of color, helping to support the feeling of restraint.

There is a slant of light that illuminates the dark and falls across the head. It adds a touch of brilliance to the blue uniform and leads us back to the eyes, perhaps more penetrating than our first encounter.

Who was Soldier Boy before the uniform? The swirling pattern in the background suggests a sense of motion that belies the static pose. Perhaps it is headiness at his ideals of freedom. Or possibly it is the last glimpse of an identity, soon to be lost forever.

Soldier Boy by Melody Phaneuf, 16 x 20 Pastel Painting

Contact Melody to commission a portrait

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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 handmade note cards.

Looking for affordable art?
See our complete selection of Hostess Gifts~
Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Fan MelodyTheArtist.com/shop on facebook
Visit Melody Phaneuf at Fenway Studios, Boston

Related~

• Expression in Portraiture
• Setting and Symbolism in Portraiture
• Portrait of Domenic

Transitions~ End of Day, Gloucester

End of Day, Gloucester by Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf

Transition. September light bridges clear, blue summer with autumn’s orange glow. It is a tranquil time in Gloucester; the tides seem at rest. But all is poised for movement; equilibrium nears the tipping point.

Moments in balance seem to arrest time and penetrate memory. My spirit soars, rejoining golden light, recalling Eternity. Below the houses are silent, watchful, rooted. I witness the ocean’s depth and desire becomes my passage home. It is here that I dwell, capturing beauty in paint, and go forth with time.

End of Day, Gloucester by Boston Artist, Melody Phaneuf is a 20 x 16 oil painting in private collection~

See End of Day, Gloucester fine art décor featured at Melody The Artist Home


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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop


Follow MelodyTheArtist on twitter
Fan MelodyTheArtist.com/shop on facebook
Visit Boston Art Studio of Melody Phaneuf
Book a painting commission by Melody Phaneuf

~

Boston Artists Celebrate Excellence

The Guild of Boston Artists is celebrating 95 years of traditional artistry in an exhibit showcasing contemporary member work together with select paintings of illustriousness early members. The exhibit opens September 10, 2009 and continues through September 27.

Farewell, Persephone is my contribution to the anniversary exhibition and pays homage to the mythical Goddess of the Underworld. Mythology, allegory, and symbolism are evident in many of my paintings. I am inspired by the transformational effects that stories can have. In these paintings I think of myself as a storyteller in a visual rather than oral tradition.

My paintings are rooted in the emotional impact of an idea, which is my inspiration to create. Composition is always first~ the choices of value key, movement, and color arrangement that evoke the mood I'm trying to convey. The objects chosen for these allegorical still lifes do bear weight but the primary focus is on the abstraction, how the components work together to trigger an emotional response to the painting.

Farewell, Persephone is featured in the September 2009 issue of American Art Collector, page 161. An earlier post tells the story of the myth of Persephone in the Underworld. To see Farewell, Persephone, visit The Guild of Boston Artists, located at 162 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02216. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30 to 5:30.

Farewell, Persephone, 42 x 48 oil painting by Melody Phaneuf

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Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative landscape, still life, and portrait paintings. Her work is 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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow Melody on twitter
Become a facebook fan
Visit Melody’s studio
Commission a painting by Melody

Related~

• The Nature of Myths
• Myths of Transformation
• The Marriage of Persephone

Travels in Amsterdam~ Alternative Spaces

The canals of Amsterdam are lined with houseboats. There is something appealing about floating in the midst of a busy waterway, in the heart of city life. The boats are as individual as their occupants, painted brightly and decorated with hanging plants and birdhouses.

Houseboat interiors are surprisingly spacious and not at all dark or dreary. Though the ceilings are low, many houseboats are flooded with light through skylights. Each little nook is cozy and there is a sense of well being from living simply.



If I were living here, I’d enjoy my city boat pied de terre, but would prefer to call a windmill in the countryside home. Here, the space is vertical, soaring. I love the movement of the mechanism, the thought of giant gears in the attic. The spaces here are cozy as well, with beds in cupboards, snug from the warmth of a woodstove, and shielded from the encircling wind.

I am charmed by the idea living in Nature, separated by only a thatched wall. I love looking out at sheep grazing and the lush green grass, veined with water moved by the mill, of the creaking rhythm of moving gears and the endless, endless sky.

~

Melody Phaneuf is a Boston Artist, well known for her evocative landscape, still life, and portrait paintings. Her work is 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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

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Related~

• Houseboat Rentals
• Windmills of The Netherlands
• Simple Living

Artistic Mechanics~ The ´Ebauche

Artists often do small studies before committing to a large canvas. There are different purposes for studies~ to select color, to work out the details of drawing, or to see the composition. The term ébauche refers to a study in which the artist looks at how the abstraction operates on a 2 dimensional surface.

I love the word, borrowed from the watchmaker, to describe the interior mechanism of timepieces. The parallel of understanding the visual forces or “what makes it tick,” is the essence of the ébauche .

This type of study has very little attention to fine detail or exact drawing. Rather, it is focused on shape, value, and linear integrity; to how the parts relate to one another. To use the watchmaker’s analogy, if one gear that is supposed to turn another doesn’t align, it must be moved to perform the function. So too with artistic mechanics; either the chosen subject is physically moved to the desired alignment, or if this is not possible, the viewpoint may be changed or artistic liberty taken.


Once the artist is satisfied with the arrangement, care is taken to ensure that the size of the final painting is in proportion to the ébauche. As the painting develops, detail is emphasized or subordinated with an eye toward maintaining mechanics of whole. In this way, the artist preserves her primary vision for the painting.

´Ebauches by Melody Phaneuf~

Study for Calling, 14 x 16, oil on canvas
Study for Stage Fort Park, 10 x 8, oil on canvas
Study for Partly Sunny, Gentle Breeze, 6 x 4 oil on board

~

Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative landscape, still life, and portrait paintings. Her work is 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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow Melody on twitter
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Visit Melody’s studio
Commission a painting by Melody

Visit to Delft~ A Tale of Tiles

A trip to The Netherlands would feel incomplete absent a visit to Delft. The Royal Delft pottery continues to manufacture the blue and white tiles that, along with Vermeer, gave 17th Century Delft broad recognition. Though blue and white tiles were manufactured throughout the country, they came to be known as “Delft Tiles.”

Practical uses of tile are many throughout The Netherlands. Wall coverings and trivet purposes are customary but it was surprising to see tiles used as floor baseboard trim. It makes perfect sense when one considers how scarce forest trees are in this small country, much of it reclaimed from the sea. For the same reason, signage and street numbers are made from tile, rather than carved from wood.

Much of the decoration of tile is based on flower and vase motifs. The Dutch love their tulips and tulip vases became the rage. Simplified floral geometries are some of the most satisfying designs in Delft tile. Pastorals and Chinese motifs also remain as popular today as they were in the 17th Century.

Home again, I savor The Netherlands adventure. It is validating to think that images chosen for Melody The Artist tiles~ florals and landscape scenery, correspond to the ideas popularized by 17th Century Dutch artisans. And I am happy to know a culture that prizes aesthetics alongside practicality.

Mums and Blue Willow, Tile Coasters, after the oil painting
by Melody Phaneuf
Also available as Backsplash Mural

Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative landscape, still life, and portrait paintings. Her work is 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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow Melody on twitter
Become a facebook fan
Visit Melody’s studio
Commission a painting by Melody

Related~

• Delft Tile Designs
• Royal Delft Manufacturing
• Visiting Delft

Painting on Location~ The Netherlands

The quest to discover new environs is a terrific source of artistic inspiration. Putting everything on hold for a few weeks for the purpose of hunting and gathering new glimpses of the world refreshes the artist’s eye.

There is much to see in the Netherlands~ from the intricate architecture to the enormous sky that hovers over the seemingly endless flat land below sea level. Windmills and canals are evidence of the determination and ingenuity of the Dutch in creating terra firma for an expanding population and verdant farmlands.

In the coming weeks there is much to do to in the studio to make these studies into larger gallery paintings. It is joyful work and a delight to revisit this journey; each little study is a visual diary of a magical experience.


Study of Amsterdam, 8 x 10 oil painting by Melody Phaneuf
Study of Windmills, 8 x 10 oil painting by Melody Phaneuf

~

Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative landscape, still life, and portrait paintings. Her work is 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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow Melody on twitter
Become a facebook fan
Visit Melody’s studio
Commission a painting by Melody

Wandering The Netherlands

Such beautiful skies and low horizons~ the Netherlands is about clouds, wind and water. I always believed that Dutch landscape paintings were splendidly composed but such big, perfectly shaped, and arranged clouds didn’t exist. They do. The landscape is cool and green, with every verdant tone represented. Canals subdivide the earth, and the landscape is dotted with horses, sheep, and cows.

Amsterdam, Haarlem, Delft are ancient waterways with marvelous architecture. There are many canals where the water is only inches below the doorwayof the shuttered brick and stucco houses. A brigade of houseboats line the waterways. Such captivating visuals summon the muse of inspiration~

Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative landscape, still life, 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 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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Follow Melody on twitter
Become a facebook fan
Visit Melody’s studio
Commission a painting by Melody

View of Alkmaar, Jacob Van Ruisdael

Gone Painting~

Dear Readers,

I’m off to a painting journey in Amsterdam. I will return with lots of little studies~ notes that will inspire a body of new paintings when I return in August. Please come back and visit. I’m thinking of you~ Melody

~

Melody Phaneuf is well known for her evocative landscape, still life, 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 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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

Humoresque, 16 x 16 self-portrait in oil by Melody Phaneuf

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The Seeker

“May peace be within you, may your heart be strong. May you find what you're seeking wherever you roam.” ~Irish Blessing

The Seeker expresses the quest to discover life’s purpose by searching the spiritual realm. The arrangement evokes the idea of an altar or ritual~ perhaps the unseen seeker has camped for the night and is preparing to invoke the Creator.

The well-worn, labeled suitcase suggests a long journey; the books, coins, Tarot~ are tools to aid entry to a spiritual domain. Bells entrance with hypnotic reverberation and symbolize the idea of pilgrimage.

The candle’s light, an individual soul inspired toward enlightenment, burns brightly and warmly in the interior space until absorbed by the greater surrounding light. The arabesque movement, guided by placement of objects and shadows is gentle but mesmerizing. All is in place for the seeker’s revelation.

~

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 handmade note cards. Online ordering at MelodyTheArtist.com/shop

The Seeker, 22 x 34 oil painting by Melody Phaneuf

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Commission a painting by Melody

Related Links~

• Pilgrimage
• Myth and Ritual
• Path to Enlightenment