Melissa

My Teacher’s Paintings

By: Melissa December 18, 2016January 6, 2018

Art History, Color, PaintingLeave a Comment

In trying to understand color I’ve been looking through my teacher’s archives and seeing her work with new eyes. I haven’t actually written about her directly, though I suppose I write about her indirectly quite a lot. Before I’ve always found her paintings beautiful but could never name what was so magical about them. Now as I…

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

featured2 Comments

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.

Lemons

By: Melissa October 15, 2016January 6, 2018

Color, featured, Grisaille, Painting, Technique, Year Three3 Comments

Last week, the day before my 32nd birthday, I finished a 6×8″ still life study of three lemons. One lemon sits in a silver parfait dish, which I bought at a collectibles shop that was painful to leave with only this cup.

Portrait Workshop with Gregory Mortenson

By: Melissa September 22, 2016January 6, 2018

Color, Painting, Workshop, Year Three2 Comments

In August I took a two-week portrait workshop in New York at Jacob Collins’ atelier, Grand Central Academy (GCA). The workshop was taught by Gregory Mortenson who does beautiful portrait work.

Best of Show and the End of Year Two

By: Melissa June 23, 2016January 6, 2018

Inspiration, Life, Painting, Year Two2 Comments

Second Year of the atelier is over! It ended Friday with the Best of Gage show.

Colleen Barry Figure Drawing Workshop

By: Melissa May 28, 2016January 9, 2019

Drawing, Inspiration, Workshop, Year Two1 Comment

(Featured image: a charcoal drawing on tone paper by Colleen Barry.) I should have long ago stated that my contemporary hero artist is Colleen Barry. Her drawing above, and some more of her work below: This last image is in Juliette’s book Lessons on Classical Drawing, where I first saw Colleen’s work. She lives in…

“The Poet”

By: Melissa May 3, 2016October 15, 2016

Art History, Color, Life Room, Painting, Year Two2 Comments

The end of the year is nigh!

Pastel Workshop, Year Two

By: Melissa April 20, 2016October 15, 2016

Color, Drawing, Year TwoLeave a Comment

On Friday we finished up our yearly pastel drawing workshop lead by one of our assistant teachers David.

February and the Shadow Side

By: Melissa March 12, 2016October 15, 2016

Art History, Color, Life Room, Painting, Year Two4 Comments

(Featured image: Study of a Male Nude by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1801) A week ago I finished my second figure painting using a limited color palette.