Posts by Melani
Selfie, Sorta
A selfie, sort of. A sketch of me, if I looked a little different. So, really, it’s a character sketch based on me. Sketching seems to be a series of choices. Which features do I include? Which features do I imply? How close to reality do I take this? How much do I let…
Read MoreReveal of the Finished Painting: Woman in a Red Raspberry Beret
Have you been wondering how it would turn out? Now you can see the finished painting, my version of Picasso’s “Woman in a Red Beret “. Sotheby’s Auction House has a great blog post on Picasso’s painting that they recently auctioned off. You can see the Picasso piece below. The portrait I…
Read MoreRed Beret Work in Progress Video
Would you be inspired by a $70 million painting? I was. But it wasn’t about the money (though the auction sale total did amaze me). Really when I saw Picasso’s “Woman in a Red Beret”, the piece recently auctioned off at Sotheby’s, it was the undiluted, unapologetic emotion of the image that got me.…
Read MoreWhen Red Beret Meets Raspberry Beret
Ever get a song stuck in your head? As I worked on my version of Picasso’s “Woman in a Red Beret “, the song, “Raspberry Beret “, by Prince floated into my mind. I started to wonder if Prince had been inspired by Picasso, too. And then, I realized the poetry of following “…berry”…
Read MoreThe Girl Who Left Home to Learn David Hockney
Oh, I had such a fantastical afternoon, once upon a too bright Saturday. I found my way into the strangely dim, yet clear light of a brand new art center and its surprising gem of a show: David Hockney‘s Etchings from his book, “Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm“. These fairy tales are…
Read MoreWork in Progress: Woman in a Red Beret’s Paint Spatter and Pencil
Where do you start a project? When I start a painting, I have a theme in mind. In this case, I am painting my version of Picasso’s “Woman in a Red Beret”. I look through a collection of paint spatters and smears that I have created, looking for an image to appear in one…
Read MoreA Backpack to Go with the Red Beret
Every hip, urban, tech-chick needs her accessories and the Woman in a Red Beret is no exception. So I designed this slouchy backpack with techie mesh side pockets and cord-and-metal-bead details to set off her ensemble, while packing a laptop for her on-the-go coding needs. Wish I had one… What’s your go-to accessory? You…
Read MoreCreative Exploration of the Woman in the Red Beret
Do you like flat lays? I love using flat lays as part of my art process. They help me throughout the process, before I start, during the creation of, and after I’ve finished the painting. (I also love flat lays for flat lays’ sake.) This flat lay told me so much about the personality…
Read MoreA Peek at the Beret
A sneak peek for you: a detail from my take on Picasso’s “Woman in a Red Beret”. Picasso’s painting caught my attention when it was auctioned off for $70 million, recently. Great piece (ya might say)! I just couldn’t resist getting up close and personal with his work. I can’t wait to share the…
Read MoreWoo Your Muse
Your inspiration for the week: Woo Your Muse. And unfortunately for me, this is exactly what I am NOT doing right now. Instead, I’m nose-deep in preparing my taxes. But I’ll have to write more about the muse, one of my favorite subjects, after I’ve recorded my 80 billionth receipt and got the whole…
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