Blog – Page 4 – Melanie Stokes Art

October 28, 2021October 28, 2021

The Beauty of an Old Barn

This old barn is deserted, but still standing, beside County Line Road #939, near Mart, Texas. It grabs my attention each time I travel by. With the goal of painting its stately beauty, I stopped recently for a few photos in good light.

The gambrel style shape of the rusted tin roof may be the first thing that caught my attention. It’s red patina is smooth and beautiful, against a blue sky. But, the unique advantage of being able to see light coming through a window on the back side of the barn captured my emotion. The left side of the barn is whole, complete with a closed door. When one walks to the other side, the open wall reveals the darkness of the hollowed out void inside the deserted barn. Weathered wood and weeds winding inward guard the edges. Yet, there is that small window of hope where the light of the sky enters and shines through to the front.

And somehow, I identify. We have sides of us that are protected, closed up to risks and leery of dangers. But, every now and then, someone walks around to the other side and sees our soul; bare, raw, and open, allowing light to enter and come through the hollow spaces. There is beauty in aging gracefully against the wind. And strength in allowing light to shine through.

October 9, 2021October 9, 2021

More Cows!

Friends who know me know that with this move to Texas, I have become acquainted with cows for the first time. I paint cows because I watch them daily on our central Texas property. The sunlight on their hides create planes of color that interest me. They parade by several times a day, based on their whims of grazing. These “girls” have been together for about a year and seem to have a hierarchy of their own personalities. (Well, they do in my imaginative mind, anyway.)

The one with “the look,”is most easily spooked by us when we walk in the pasture. She is always the first one to pop her head up from grazing. She gives me that spooky look, like she doesn’t trust me, and it is a reciprocal feeling. I am spooked by getting too close to her. We call her “Spooky.”

We lease the land to a young man who has all the responsibility of the ownership of the six cows. We get the benefits of having them entertain us as we share their space… and step over their fertilizer. (!)

These paintings were an experiment in complementary colors. I began with Venetian Red and used Burnt Sienna and Black to create the various red shades. Ivory Black (or maybe some Mars Black, depending on which one I picked up) and Yellow Ochre gave the greens for the complementary background. Both Titanium and Warm White were used. And maybe you can spot a bit of Radiant Red (pink) in a few spots. All the mixing and smudging and wiping made it fun.

As I watch cows move slowly through each day, I wonder if they are bored. I wonder if they wish the boundaries would take them further. I wonder if they plan where they are going to sleep each night. I know. I wonder too much and need to get out more! But, that’s the Story Behind the Cow Paintings.

September 4, 2021August 21, 2023

Rest and Unrest

I have struggled with this painting for a few weeks in my studio. There were moments when I thought I was finished. And I let it rest… only to come back to it a few days later, pick up the brush, and continue to struggle with it more.

It was a peaceful painting when I began. The hay bales at rest in the freshly cut field, the soft clouds floating along with a breeze, and the muted colors described the peace I wanted to convey. But, then those Caracaras floated by… They are also called Mexican Eagles. Beautiful as they are, there is something foreboding about their presence. They are predators (for which I am grateful, for they eat the field mice). Yet, something about that one sitting on the hay bale, as if he rules the roost, just added a touch of unrest to my painting that brought the struggle.

Then, I began to see the message. The Rest and Unrest of Our World these days is the topic we can’t ignore. We are divided on opinions. We struggle with what is true. We are encouraged one minute and disappointed the next. The peace that we know is invaded by predators that we are not sure about.

I decided to leave the Yin and Yang feeling in my painting. I can’t ignore it in reality. I have to learn to make peace with it, just as I have learned to make peace with my environment. My peace comes from an eternal God who reaches down and offers his Peace to us through accepting that Jesus is our Savior from this fallen world. God’s Peace is bigger, brighter, and more lasting than the predators of this world. I will continue to rest in that thought. (And I’m laying down the paintbrush on this one.)

August 22, 2021August 22, 2021

Fences and Freedom

On a day when I feel the particular sadness of this 2021 World so heavy in my soul, I happen to be painting the barbed wire of a fence. This fence is overgrown with vines, choking and holding something in or out, dividing the acreage by imposing restrictions on its natural order. It is an image that contrasts against the beauty and freedom of the vast sky behind it. The painting was started days ago without any of these thoughts. I’m getting back to it on this day, just when I need the revelation it brings.

I am downcast, carrying pain, both the deep pains I feel for others, and concerns of my own. I know that pain and worry need to be cast away. Some days it is difficult to shake off. Some days it seems I am begging God all day in my prayers. Sometimes I think I empathize too much.

But today, as I paint, my Creator God reminds me that He is there in the beauty of the background. He is always there in power and strength, always offering His Spirit to guide, always providing assurance of life that cannot be choked out by the evil in this world. His love, given through Jesus Christ, can never be choked out.

In this politically divided climate of 2021, my soul longs for a way for us all to reconcile and live in peace with each other, agreeing to disagree, respecting opinions as opinions. That is what freedom in America has looked like in my lifetime. I’m still hopeful. But, if it doesn’t look that way anymore, I can cling to the freedom I have in heaven.

I’m reminded of a song: “Gonna lay down my burdens, down by the riverside, down by the riverside, down by the riverside…and study war no more. Gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside…and study war no more.”

I pray for a healthy balance between fences and freedom for all of us.

June 28, 2021August 21, 2023

Before the Rainbow, Comes the Rain

Rainbows usually come as a surprise. Before the rainbow, comes the rain. And, at the end of a dreary day, often torrential and stormy, when we think the sun has vanished, it peeks through the clouds and a glorious burst of colors is displayed in a big way! We are surprised! Even though we know God has promised it. Even though we know that’s what happens when sun breaks through the wet sky. But we are surprised and delighted and reminded, once again, that God keeps his promises, in His time.

June 22, 2021June 22, 2021

Greens on A Gray Day

There is much “to-do” about how to make greens, because (heaven forbid) one should never use greens straight out of a tube! So, on this gray day, I enjoyed respite from Texas heat and painted the muted greens on our property from observation. For the artists reading — On my palette was ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, light cad yellow, yellow ochre, burnt umber, payne’s gray, titanium white and a touch of radiant red. From that, (no green tubes there) I painted the greens of the hayfield and mesquite trees. In case you noticed in the photo, yes, there are other colors at the top of my palette, but they are dried up spots from other sessions.

Now back to those of you who don’t care what colors I used. As I painted, I thought. I thought about the twists and turns of the tree trunk and wondered how long it took to get to this size. Knowing the power of the wind that blows across this field, I imagine this one is deeply rooted. Notice how the twisted limbs show that life knocked him for a curve for a few years! And, notice the new growth toward the top; the tiny branches that keep growing, even when the trunk itself has done a full life’s work. Even after the Texas Ice Storm, when it looked dead, this mesquite came back to life for another year!

In case you missed the obvious lesson here…life is a journey of twists and turns. It makes us, or breaks us, as we learn to adapt to the winds that blow. We start with basics and learn to mix the paints to give the results we want. Strong roots are important for standing against obstacles. And the twisted scars that we end up with are often beautiful, when we stand back and observe with a grateful heart. Even on a gray day.

June 6, 2021August 21, 2023

It Was Somebody’s Home

How many times have you seen an old home and wondered about the people who lived there? Honestly, that is one of the recurring conversations I have with myself. And for some reason, it’s not just the big, beautiful houses that get my attention. Visually, I am drawn to small cabins, old shacks, log homes…and imagining the impoverished lifestyles of my ancestors.

No, I didn’t grow up on a farm. But my parents did, so I’ve heard the stories. My mother, the youngest of thirteen children, told me that she didn’t realize how poor she was as a child until much later, because everyone was poor during the Great Depression. My father grew up in the hills of North Georgia in a home that looked similar to this one, not uncommon for the time and location. He stated that he went to college to get out from behind a mule and plow.

I took a photo of this cabin at George Ranch, near Rosenberg, Texas. No one was living there. It is well maintained as a historical site. Back in my studio, I imagined the people who could have lived in this shotgun house. I knew there had to be a woman shelling butter beans on the front porch. There must have been some chickens running around, providing eggs and meat in the pot for a special meal. I imagined the man in the back, hammering or fixing something on a worktable. And there probably were children running around barefoot. (But they were moving too fast in my imagination to capture them here!)

It was Somebody’s Home! And I hope it was filled with love. For, whether one is living in poverty or riches, if a home has love, it can withstand the storms, sure to come! This one did.

May 17, 2021May 17, 2021

Things Above

Painting in a recent plein air event took me to Galveston, Texas. For four days, forty four juried artists painted from outdoor life, all over the island. And by Friday, we had created the Plein Air Southwest Show that rivaled works in many nice galleries! To be a part of the talent in the room was thrilling!

I came home with paintings of historic homes, beautiful parks, the harbor docks, and shady estates. But the image that stopped my thoughts for a moment, and called to me to paint it, was this one.

As I was touching up a painting on my host’s front porch, I looked up from my easel. The light on the church steeple at the end of the street caught my eye. The image seemed to ground my thoughts, which had been a bit scattered from the whirlwind week. I pulled out a 9×12 panel and painted, not focusing on the whole scene but the steeple pointing upward toward the light.

And God spoke with the visual image. Things Above…Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth….and the things of this earth will pass away. (These thoughts come from multiple Bible verses. So, it’s not a quote, but words that came to my memory.) I was reminded to focus on spiritual things, trusting Him, and listening as He guides me.

In this world, I am assured that God is above all; above all this crazy stuff on earth which will eventually pass away, just like the drips on the painting. Set your mind on things above. And let the worries drip away.

April 21, 2021August 21, 2023

It’s Bluebonnet Season!

It’s Bluebonnet Season in Texas! And that means plein air painters are traveling the back roads, looking for the perfect scene to paint their annual bluebonnet painting! I haven’t found a field of bluebonnets in a good location yet. But the close up studies have been really fun. And from that, painting the larger 20×20 reminded me of painting hydrangeas in Georgia! (Some of my GA friends may recognize the same style.)

Those of us in Central Texas are glad to see the bluebonnets blooming! It’s another sign that spring is here – new life, longer days, sunshine and brighter colors!

If you’ve got the winter blues, maybe a bluebonnet painting would take care of that:

…or a walk through the bluebonnets…that’s a sure cure for the blues, too! Happy Spring!

March 23, 2021September 29, 2022

Gentle Nudges

Gentle nudges, whispers of wind, light plays with shadow, fresh air inflates the lungs, sounds of birds are singing for miles, smells of spring grasses rise from the earth…breathe again.

It’s been a winter. A time of illness, sadness, cold. But with this painting, I feel the gentle nudges of a vast God, who reminds me that He is always there.