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
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Related~

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

Once Upon A Time

Why do we tell stories? A message enshrined in allegory stirs wonder, motivates, warns, or heals us. Great stories inspire us and move our soul.

Farewell, Persephone pays homage to a myth of transformation, grief, and resurrection. The arrangement is altar-esque, the after effect of tragedy, abduction of a child.

Persephone, collecting the blossoms of spring with her maiden friends has strayed too far. And Hades, forever lying in wait, opened the earth and whisked her away in his black chariot. We are left with clues: a wreath of flowers, a virginal white veil, a sickle and wheat, all illuminated by the firelight of the underworld below.

And how her mother grieved. And wandered, and searched. What of the kindly man, this gardener to Hades, who took pity upon Demeter and whispered her daughter’s position? How could he know that for evermore his utterances would be those of an owl and that he would give up his life while the child’s fate was cast as she nibbled on the seeds of a pomegranate?

As Demeter’s grief turned to rage the earth scorched, starved and died. The only reprieve was the child’s return but rebirth is impermanent, and the world without end.

Persephone’s bags are packed and return she does. Our eyes circle through the painting, wheat leads to white flowers and obscures the death card. At this moment, our gaze is drawn to the wreath of wildflowers reminding us of spring and rebirth, and of eternal hope.

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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

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

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

Related Links~

• Myth of Persephone
• Transformation Stories
• Symbolism of the Pomegranate