oil painting – Page 3 – Melanie Stokes Art

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018

Stop and Smell the Gardenias!

Some days you just need to “stop and smell” the gardenias!!

melaniestokesart.com — Stop and Smell
10×20 oil
$160

I know, I know, I’m supposed to be focused on readying for ten kids in Art Camp on Monday. My studio shows evidence of that. I know, this painting hasn’t been commissioned and maybe no one will want to buy it. So, what?

Some days you just need to “stop and smell”… “be quiet and listen”…”be still and know.”

Every time I walk past the gardenia bush, I find myself slowing down, inhaling deep, and studying the soft petals. I ponder what color is really in that white…how dark are the shadows?…are they tinted warm or cool? And I thank the Creator God for his marvelous creation of gardenias. And I feel happy and loved. So today, I needed to paint that, as I spent a few hours in the quietness of worship in my studio.

Perhaps your avenue of “stopping and smelling” is not with paint. It might be in playing with a child, reading a book, writing your thoughts, petting a cat, watching birds, going for a walk, sewing or baking, maybe even taking a nap… As it says in Ephesians, “in all things, give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus to God.” We do.

May 10, 2018

Thinking About Geraniums

If my Mama could come back as a flower, I think it would be a geranium! (Now before you think I’ve finally gone off the deep end, hear me out.)

This morning, after seeing the inevitable Mothers’ Day posts on Facebook, I went out to the studio to work. I meant to finish up some things and clean up some things and pack some things for an upcoming trip. But the geraniums were beckoning me – calling out to me – luring me into the yard to paint them! So I did.

As I painted, I began to think about how like a geranium my own mother was: bright and cheerful, even in rain or hot sun; strong enough to stand, yet flexible enough to bend when necessary; commanding my attention when it needed to be focused; growing best in groups, she brought joy to those around! (Being from a really large family may have added to her gregarious nature.)

The shape, or non-shape, of a geranium bloom reminds me of Sarah Miller’s creative, spur of the moment, non-conformist spirit. The organic, curved lines are almost musical as they show up “here, there and yonder” like the songs that would erupt from Mama throughout the day. Just like a geranium, ready to burst with blooms, Mama was always ready to share a song!

Yes, I can see my Mama in the bright colors and fun shapes of a geranium. Oh, and the red is obvious to anyone who knew her – the red hair of the Fallin Family!

Happy Mothers’ Day!

April 12, 2018April 12, 2018

Is it Spring Yet?

I’m so glad I live in the South! Though it’s unseasonably cold this April, I don’t think I could stand it any further north. And one reason I want springtime weather is that means it’s time to enjoy painting en plein air!

melaniestokesart.com

I recently enjoyed a few days painting on the waterfront of Saint Mary’s, Georgia. The breeze was enough to keep the sand gnats at bay and the light was wonderful. It’s always interesting to meet the people who happen by and want to watch. Thank you to the “random photographer” who happened by and sent me this photo. I didn’t get her name but maybe she is reading this.

Here is an updated 16×20 version, painted in the studio.

And one more, painted from my photo taken the same week. Springtime in St. Mary’s is gorgeous, but remember to take bug spray!

Looking forward to Plein Air South in May!!

March 16, 2018March 16, 2018

Painting From The Inside

Several painter friends and I met inside the Sacred Heart Cultural Center, in Augusta, and searched for something to paint for a couple of hours on a cold, March day. The Sacred Heart Building, a former Catholic Church, was in disrepair for years when Pete Knox decided to restore and reopen the beautiful building. Today it is used for weddings, concerts, parties, and a variety of art events. Yet, the architecture, the stained glass, the sculptures and ornamental details are still rich with Christian history.

In the quiet, hollow cathedral, I walked around looking at light and shadow, colors and lines, repetition of shapes and tried to find a focus . . . and then I saw it . . . the face of Jesus carrying his cross. It was on one of the “Stations of the Cross” relief sculptures that line both sides of the building. I saw what I needed and pulled out paint to begin.

As I painted, a hymn tune began to play in my head:

“Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

(and the song kept going over and over for another hour while I painted, know what I mean?)

Yet, as I painted the face of Christ, I saw pain, sorrow, rejection and exhaustion. melaniestokesart.com And I hummed to myself, “man of sorrows, what a name for the Son of God who came…”

I remembered his love and marveled at his endurance. I noticed the figures around him in the sculpture, some helping him carry the heavy cross, some mocking him and some perhaps begging him for one last miracle.

I worshipped through paint as I studied the face of Jesus and sang in my soul, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

This Lenten season is a good time to look on the face of Jesus, listen to His Spirit and remember.

July 10, 2017September 20, 2017

“Stirring Up the Past”

As I stopped at this crossroads, I took a quick photo with my iPhone. Something about the huge silhouette of the tree and house against the swirling sky demanded my attention. Images don’t always speak to me fully until I begin painting them. The process causes me to slow down and really look, so that my mind can ponder and analyze and make allegories while I paint.

I stirred and swirled the paint for the clouds. I swished and scumbled the ruts in the dusty road. I imagined a dusty truck, with big tires, wheeling past the stop sign, to turn left. The wind whispered through the towering trees as I placed the pale yellow tops of weeds, reflecting sunlight from above. And all the while there sat this dark form of a house in the middle of it all, oblivious to the movement around it, mysterious in its shroud of overgrown foliage. It was an object of the past. I imagined no one lived in it for years.

The phrase, “stirring up the past” popped into mind. “STOP (as in the Stop sign) stirring up the past” kept floating in and out of my thoughts. Just as the imaginary truck in this image did, I suppose I’m being encouraged to keep rolling on. No need to stir up the past! The dust will settle soon.