Tucson Artist, Melinda, Thanks Everyone Who Stopped By!

Here it is Friday, and I'm just now feeling like I've recovered from last weekend's open studio tour. It was a blast.

We had a music jam, lots of laughter and chatting, and some treats. But most of all, we had intelligent, witty, kindhearted visitors. It was so very wonderful to see everyone. Oh, yeah, and I did this quick painting on Saturday. It's not done, but Mr. Arty Fice made a time lapse of the process:

Thank you!

I did sell four paintings!

Winter Dark

Winter Dark © Melinda Esparza

New Mexico Hill and Junipers

New Mexico Hill and Junipers © Melinda Esparza

 Sun Fell, Sky Followed

Sky Fell, Sun Followed © Melinda Esparza

 Redwall Canyon

Redwall Canyon © Melinda Esparza

Thank you, dear artist bloggers who keep me committed to the work. Wish you all could stop in sometime! More soon...

Not an Illustrator, Not a traditionalist, All about Listening to the Paint

Now, don't get me wrong, I admire the traditionalists, and after working on an illustration for a family friend for two weeks, I have enormous admiration for the work of illustrators. It's just not for me. I learned that illustration is remarkably demanding. And, while the recipient of the work was quite pleased with the outcome, I kept looking for C O L O R!! Once again I realized how very invested I am with color and paint. Duh, eh? Bet you could have helped me out with this. There was also a local call for artists on the subject of red at a respected gallery here. I am not one to submit work to galleries very often, but this one intrigued me. The gallery wants to exhibit work that will augment an upcoming performance of the play, Red, by John Logan, about the life and work of Mark Rothko. Of course, I had to start painting with a lot of green....More about that next week. I've also submitted another painting to the call, and another work for a show in New Mexico. Whew! Abiquiu Ancestors: Opening Sanctuary 30" x 30," oil on canvas Image © 2012 Melinda S. Esparza This painting is getting some attention today as it waits patiently to be finished soon. Abiquiu Ancestors: Opening Sanctuary (detail) 30" x 30," oil on canvas Image © 2012 Melinda S. Esparza Not quite done, but getting closer: Abiquiu Ancestors: Opening Sanctuary 30" x 30," oil on canvas Image © 2012 Melinda S. Esparza Do you have some thoughts on Rothko to share? I watched a documentary last night about Henry Geldzahler. Have you ever wondered why certain artists were heralded more than others, and women artists were virtually left out of the heralding in the 1960s. Well, wonder no more. Henry Geldzahler wrote about his artist friends, and the work he enjoyed most. Simple. There you have it. And because of his position as Curator for American Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he was able to push the careers of his artist friends. Who Gets to Call It Art?, by Peter Rosen, is the name of the documentary. See for yourself. I'm not specifically against this sort of thing. It seems to be a natural enough behavior. The problem I have is its exclusivity and exclusion of a wider range of artists--in any era. Just got the link to the National Park Service's page on Artists-in-Residence at the Grand Canyon last week. Yep, I'm there and feeling pretty excited about the whole thing. My hiking boots are broken in and my packing skills are honed... It's been a busy time offline. I've missed you all. Are you doing what you want to do in your studios? Oh, I really hope so! I'll be back--soon.