waco texas – Melanie Stokes Art

March 26, 2024March 26, 2024

Pause and Ponder

melaniestokesart.com — Pause and Ponder
12×12 oil
available at Art Center Waco

Although a Solar Eclipse is often a “once in a lifetime” experience, it is a phenomenon known in all continents around the world. For centuries, people have pondered and wondered at the heavenly spectacle.

When the Art Center Waco announced their exhibit, Eclipse: Shining Shadows, to coincide with the 2024 Eclipse over Waco, I immediately thought of a photo from years ago! My son, Mark Stokes, had photographed a powerful image of a child viewing the 2001 eclipse in Mozambique. I remembered the impact of light and shadow in the photograph and the inquisitive expression on the child’s face. I asked the photographer for permission to use it as a photo reference for a painting. (How could he turn down his mother?)

The message of this painting is a celebration of humanity’s sense of wonder, and gratitude for the gift of sight. We, who behold, bond with emotions of awe and reverence as we pause and gaze into the unknown. We remember the day that we saw the eclipse and paused to ponder the unfamiliar sight. (Sure, there are clear scientific explanations we can give.) I choose to see through the eyes of a child and be amazed!

September 6, 2023September 6, 2023

From the Ground Up!

“From the Ground Up” – implies beginning on ground level,

where the only direction to go is up.

If you have been following my paintings, you will remember I have been painting big Texas skies for a few years. I decided to switch perspective and paint “from the ground up.”

One reason for the theme, From the Ground Up, is an effort to tie Carvings and Canvases together for the next big show. Sculptor Kevin Rackley and I did not know each other before it was suggested that our works might pair together in a duo show. What did we have in common? Artworks, inspired by this beautiful earth on which we live, and a mutual appreciation for the Creator and all that is created “From the Ground Up!”

I’m sure we all have had times when we began a new venture and literally did it “from the ground up.” It can be daunting, and also exciting!

Almost five years ago, my husband and I sold or gave away many of our possessions and loaded a Penske truck to move from Georgia to Texas, in order to be with our Texan son’s family. We bought/built/renovated a home, learned to landscape in the Blackland Prairie, traded our little Prius for an SUV that could handle dirt roads better, made new friends in a new environment, managed to maneuver the road constructions of Waco, constructed an art studio and workshop, and became acquainted with this place we now call “home.” All, from the ground up!

I wondered what this move would mean as I was just getting a good start in Georgia with a second act career of being a full-time artist, after retiring from teaching. I wanted to keep painting, but would need to start afresh with clients and prove my abilities “from the ground up.”

The collection of work in this upcoming show represents the first five years of my painting in Texas. As a plein air painter, I have enjoyed exploring new places and becoming familiar with the western landscape through artist observation. This time, the perspective shifts to the ground and the plants growing from it. Several of these landscapes were painted from my porch (near Mart, TX). Some paintings depict the western environments, seen through recent travels through New Mexico and Arizona. The presence of cows in my paintings are influenced by animals I have made peace with on our property. And the beautiful Texas Skies continue to lift my eyes upward to more heavenly realms.

The show is for you to see and enjoy. But it is also for me, to put a marker on the last five years of painting: my experiences, my communication, my therapy, my artworks.

(Buy them all so I will have room to paint more!)

July 28, 2023July 28, 2023

Reminiscence

Magnolia Trees! As I stood beneath the huge magnolias and breathed the scents of the South in this arboretum, the place took me back to memories in Georgia: the shade of the sturdy leaves that grew low in our Perry, GA yard when my sons were two and four; the trees that gathered around Sweetheart Circle on the GA Southern campus, watching students come and go; the ones that adorned every Southern home of more than fifty years of age in my hometown; and the ones that I saw scattered along I-16 with white blooms beaming in the Georgia sunlight! As I reminisced, not specifically, but with an overall general sweet feeling, I realized that I missed painting magnolias…and hydrangeas…and camellias and azaleas.

And yes, as a matter of fact, I do live near Waco, Texas –home to “Magnolia Silos” and such. But a single magnolia, planted in the yard of a newly renovated home has a long way to go to reach the heights and depths of these ancient magnolias of a more southern latitude.

You have seen me painting cacti and prairie grass and wildflowers in these latter years. And I am loving the varied perspective it brings to an artist to be in a new location. ( Be on the lookout for the next solo show – September 23 – November 4 – in Temple, TX. It is entitled “From the Ground Up!” and the paintings are all Texas inspired!)

This painting was just something I had to get out of my system. A painting of a magnolia, or a seagull on the coast, or a tree covered in Spanish Moss connects me to my roots. And I breathe deep and reminisce.

July 24, 2023July 24, 2023

What’s in a Name?

How I sign my name on a painting and why I sign it this way…

Signatures in the bottom corners of paintings

My handwriting has certainly changed over the years. From the curly cued letters of childhood, through the teen phase of dotting my i with a heart, and into the mixture of capitals and cursives that quickly come from my hand today, the style has changed much.

One reason my signature has changed is that I am often signing with a paintbrush! (Go ahead, try it! It takes some practice.) For that reason, most of my early paintings are signed with a black Sharpie pen. Future generations will look at the paintings and say, “Ah, it’s from her ‘Sharpie Period’ – when she didn’t know how to sign her name with a paintbrush.”

Now, there are two variations of the signature that you might see. If my first and last name is signed, it is a large painting, most likely done in a studio. But when I am painting outside, en plein air, I am in a hurry. The 11×14 canvas or smaller lends itself to a quick “MStokes,” scratched into paint with the tip of a palette knife… if the paint is heavy enough there. When my mother named me, she was thinking more about the melodic sound of the three syllables and the sweetness of Olivia de Havilland’s character in Gone With the Wind, than how long it would take me to write it with a paintbrush!

And here is the inside story of the Story Behind the Paintings — Looking at the signatures, you might notice that the cross piece of the t in Stokes is rather accentuated. I do this purposefully. Crossing the t is the last thing I do in my signature. And when I cross the t, I try to place it higher and wider than the other letters. As I cross the t, I remind myself that I am painting for the God who loves me enough to submit to death on a cross. I am reminded that I am painting through His grace. I am reminded that I belong to Jesus. And that my name needs to reflect His name.

A good name is better than great riches,

and good favor is above silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:1

December 30, 2022December 30, 2022

As Ducks Fly…

This landscape, from a photo on our property, was used for demonstration in the recent Earth and Sky workshop. The 11×14 study had been on a table in my studio for a few weeks when I felt compelled to paint it in a larger 24×30 format. It was one of those paintings that simmered for a few weeks, as I made minor adjustments. And before I knew it…the ducks were flying in, or out, depending on the weather, both outside and in my painting.

We have a pond (or tank, as people around here call it) and are often entertained by the migrating birds that come around. The ducks stay for awhile. And then something changes and they leave. It could be the wind, the temperature, a predator, an event that disturbs their peace, or the need to get up and find food. As they fly, they usually go together, making the trip easier. “There is safety in numbers.” Sometimes, I see one staying behind. Maybe he/she is more brave. Maybe he/she is tired of the group. Maybe he/she is lost.

It’s a thing to ponder: How do they decide where to land? Seasons change, circumstances shift. Then, as ducks fly, maybe we do, too.

Ducks can’t fly backwards. (Or so the internet states.) So, here’s to a New Year of flying straight ahead. Remember to land and rest. Enjoy the company of others. And when seasons change, move on. Oh, one more fact: ducks remember where they came from and often return year after year to visit.

January 12, 2022January 13, 2022

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

Each morning, when I open window blinds, I look toward this row of trees in my yard. It is a morning refreshment to see the rising sunlight shower its brilliance on the leaves of the oak tree. As the sun rises, the color of light on these trees often gives a foreshadowing of what kind of weather we can expect.

On this particular morning, stormy weather was on its way out and breezes were blowing clouds across the sky to dust away dreariness. A couple of bucks had rested for the night and were stretching toward nourishment for another day.

Sunlight has a deep impact upon my ability to feel refreshed and energized. There is much to be said about a good dose of natural Vitamin D! Even on cloudy days, we know the light of the sun is still there. But when the sun shines bright, it refreshes my soul!

Morning refreshment for me also includes having a few cups of coffee, while reading Scripture and devotional thoughts (before I jump into social media.) This painting makes me think of the phrase, “His mercies are new every morning,” so I pulled it up from the Bible:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.'”

Lamentations 3:22-24ESV

December 21, 2021June 14, 2022

Benediction

When I was a child, I sat by my father in church, because my mother sang in the choir every Sunday. At the end of each worship service, people would gather up their things to leave. I knew the end was coming because the bulletin said, “Benediction.”

Now if you looked up the definition of “benediction,” it would not say “time to start gathering the bulletin you drew on, put up the half pencil in the pew rack, and pick up your Bible and sweater to leave.”

I learned as I grew older that a benediction is a blessing, an expression of hope for the coming days, and a petition for guidance as we part.

As I come to the close of painting this collection of Texas Skies, I have decided this one shall be called, “Benediction.” It is at the end. It is the twentieth 24×30 sky canvas that is hanging in my studio. It is painted with the blessing of spiritual peace I’ve experienced in this process. It is painted with a hope that it will bring peace to the ones who view it. It is painted with prayers of petition for many. And, painted with a prayer for God to guide my direction as I look for venues for showing this body of work.

May the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be now and forever more in our hearts and minds, as we continue to serve Him on this earth in the days ahead.

And because this is my Benediction, I will now gather up the paintbrushes and prepare to leave.

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!

February 5, 2021August 21, 2023

My Art From Mart or #artfrommarttx

When we began preparing for a move to Waco, Texas a few years ago, my husband and I knew we wanted to live in the country, on the same side of the county as our son’s family, and wanted more than one acre of land. Our house hunt led us fifteen miles away from Waco, to more land than we needed, six miles from our son, and a Mart address.

Mart, with a population of about 2000, gives many subjects and opportunities for paintings. (You may have noticed I’ve been using the hashtag, #artfrommarttx, on my Instagram account.) I took a photo for this painting while parked at the Dollar General. Like so many rural places in Texas, the grain elevators dominate the skyline of the town.

Read’s Grocery, on the main street, is a convenient six miles for me when I need a quick trip to the grocery. During the days of quarantine, they remained open with stocked shelves and sanitizing protocols, for which I am grateful.

Pizza Pro is on the right side, with delicious baked spaghetti and, of course, take out pizza! They even sell empty pizza boxes to artists who need wet canvas carriers!

The friendly staff of the U.S. Post Office of Mart has been such a help to me in shipping paintings and filling orders for prints. They always have time to help me figure out the best way to do things. And our rural carrier, who brings packages to the door, has become a first name friend. Gotta love the small town life!

I was puzzled by the names of some Texas roads being FM2957 or FM939. I’ve always had trouble remembering numbers. Words like “Lake Felton Parkway” or “County Line Road” come to my mind easier. I learned that FM stands for Farm to Market and was an avenue for that in the beginning of their construction. This painting, Farm to Market, is the view I see as I enter the Mart City Limits from the County Line Road (or FM 939). And those hay bales have been there with the For Sale sign since about summer before last.

So, yes, we moved to Waco. But, we have a Mart address, and we are really closer to Hallsburg and Elk. If you decide to visit, it might be best to call for directions. The porch rockers are ready for you. But I’m probably around back, painting art from Mart!

Instagram: #artfrommarttx @melaniestokesart

November 4, 2019

Painting and Praying

My best prayer times seem to be while I’m painting outdoors. Maybe I’m listening better when the only sounds I hear are those of nature, the very creation of God. Maybe He speaks more vividly when I am studying visual images and analyzing how the light shines on them. Maybe I am more focused, for at least an hour or so, and easier to speak to when I’m all alone. I paint and I listen and I pray.

This morning I have been thinking about my friend who challenged us to read a chapter in Proverbs each day for the 31 days of November. As I read, I apply it to myself, but can’t help but think of her, as I know she is reading the same verses.

Though my friend is from Crawford, Texas, she lives in Thomson, Georgia! (Yes, there is a parallel to my move from Thomson to Crawford, TX.) Our paths intersect in so many other ways. But this morning, the intersection comes from prayer, from a common faith in Jesus, and from the Holy Spirit hearing prayers from TX to Thomson and back again.

I’m often reminded that I live miles away from many people I love. When they hurt, I long to go and be with them. But this big wide state of Texas is a looong way from quick trips. I can be with them through the power of prayers. Though it may sound trite, prayer is anything but! “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.” (James 5:16) And the Holy Spirit can carry those prayers from here to there, from me to God… from God to me, and He hears. The impact of prayer is As Wide As A Texas Sky!