Art Monk

What’s to Become of the Paul Allen Collection?

By: Melissa October 21, 2018October 21, 2018

When Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, owner of the Seattle Seahawks and art collector died last week leaving behind no spouse and no children, questions immediately arose about the future of his projects. His impact on Seattle, on the world, and in art was substantial. About two years ago he displayed some of his amazing…

Those Who Teach

By: Melissa January 14, 2018January 14, 2018

Uncategorized3 Comments

In August I studied in New York at Grand Central Academy. Two consecutive weeklong workshops offered a rare opportunity to draw the figure for one week with Colleen Barry and then use the drawing to paint the same pose the following week in a figure painting workshop with Edward Minoff and Katie Whipple. Here are…

Alla Prima Portrait Workshop with Irvin Rodriguez

By: Melissa April 8, 2017January 6, 2018

Color, Technique, Year ThreeLeave a Comment

Last week I took a super fun and extremely challenging alla prima portrait workshop instructed by a great young painter named Irvin Rodriguez. Irvin and I met almost a year ago at the Frye Museum while I was copying a painting in the gallery. He introduced himself and asked if I was training in an atelier, because…

A History of Teachers

By: Melissa April 7, 2017January 7, 2018

InspirationLeave a Comment

(Featured image: Beer and Oysters II by Jacob Collins, Oil on Canvas, 12 x 20″, 2007) Over the weekend I escaped our soggy Seattle spring to sunny LA where I wore sunglasses and visited the Getty Museum for the first time. I’m on a two week spring during which I took a weeklong alla prima portrait workshop…

Preston at the Ruins

By: Melissa February 25, 2017January 6, 2018

Life Room, Painting, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

We are finally at the part of the year where the poses shift from short studies to longer, more realized paintings. Preston posed for us for about three weeks. He’s a trained dancer and you can see this in the finished painting because of how he was able to support his carriage through posture throughout a…

Good News in Threes

By: Melissa February 9, 2017February 11, 2017

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You remember I mentioned in the last post that I started 2017 with a flu? Well, sad I couldn’t be back in the studio, I spent that time (literally) feverishly applying for scholarships and casting for a few new opportunities. Recently some wonderful gifts caught the line. Yesterday I checked my email during the long break…

A Few Studies to Begin 2017

By: Melissa February 6, 2017January 6, 2018

Uncategorized2 Comments

This is my third January as an atelier student and I have come to love the beginning of the calendar year which, in atelier life, comes after several weeks away from the easel while we break for the holidays. By mid January, when we begin again, our brains have rested and the dust has settled. All…

New Website and New Blog Address

By: Melissa January 19, 2017January 6, 2018

Motivation, Year ThreeLeave a Comment

Hey gang, I finally made a website with my portfolio of work. The website’s address is www.melissamesserart.com and I have linked this blog to it (you can see the “Art Monk Blog” link in the image of the home page above in the upper right corner). UPDATE – To access the blog directly without going to…

Limes, Figures and the End of Fall

By: Melissa December 11, 2016January 6, 2018

Color, Grisaille, Paintingpaintfromlife, stilllifepainting4 Comments

(Featured image, Etude in Green, 8 x 10 oil on canvas board, available) Five weeks have passed since the end of the Randy pose and, because (cruelly) progress is not linear, it has been one unsatisfying figure painting experience after another but the limes were truly a joy.

Four Day Pose and Color Spheres

By: Melissa October 24, 2016January 6, 2018

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The image above is my study from a four day pose with the patron-saint of our atelier, Randy, the model, poet and dear friend of Juliette.