Christmas Show Kick-Off Party

Detail of photo of Patricia Mills of Studio Tupos Gallery with Melani Grube and Melani's painting, "Reindeer", preparing for the winter 2018 Christmas Show.

  I’m excited to invite you to the Kick-Off Party for the Christmas Show at Studio Tupos Gallery in Old Fair Oaks, CA. this Saturday, December 8th. Owner/Artist Patricia Mills (on the left in the photo above) was kind enough to ask me to participate in this lovely show. You can see my painting, “Reindeer”…

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See All That Happened at the Open Studio Party

Website countdown to Melani Grube's Open Studio at zero days left!

Welcome to Dreamland! Thank you to all who made it to my Open Studio Party, “Welcome to Dreamland”. You made Dreamland a reality. I could not have imagined a more delightful Open Studio/Solo Show. Seeing all the artwork displayed on the wall together was amazing. I have never seen it together in a cohesive grouping…

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The Best Links for How To Write an Artist Statement

Artist Melani Grube with one of her favorite art tools, her nib pen.

  Has it happened to you yet? You’ve got your artwork prepared and finished, you’ve met the deadline date for applying and when you go to submit your piece for consideration to an exhibit, the show juror requests an Artist’s Statement from you.   What?! If you’re like me, you haven’t got one that doesn’t…

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Art Display Ideas: Dancer in Shadow

A display of The painting, "Dancer in Shadow" by Melani Grube. A dancer steps forth from the depths of our psyche, holding our secrets and mysteries, while her dazzling gown shines forth in a display of brilliance.

  How would you display this painting, “Dancer in Shadow“? Okay, so this was just a quick throw-together display, put together before I have to deliver this piece to Verge Center for the Arts for the Preview Show for the 13th Annual Sac Open Studios Tour. You will be able to see this piece at…

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The Completed Painting: “Wild Horses”

A detail from A herd of wild horses stampedes its way in a circuitous route, bolting and bucking and prancing and looking back. Violets, blues and yellows featured.

  The big reveal of the completed painting of “Wild Horses”. I am happy to say that it was already accepted into a shoitw, the Art of the Horse Art Exhibit. Getting into shows and exhibits takes a lot of work. So, it’s always a win when your artwork is accepted. These horses appeared as…

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Illustrated Title Banner for the Painting, “Wild Horses”

A detail from Hand-lettered title for the painting, "Wild Horses", with illustration element of a horse head with flowing mane.

  Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a wild and wonderful time. “Wild Horses” is the title of my newest painting for which I have been sharing the work-in-progress pictures. Now, watch for my next post when I reveal the completed piece. What is your favorite thing to do on Sundays? Tell me about…

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Save the Date!

A detail from A painting hung on a wall above a console with metallic statues from the Far East and a blue Art Deco glass vase, and lit from above by industrial-styled lights. The painting is a modern take by Melani Grube in which Sunday afternoon sunlight filters through the trees along a shoreline park filled with people in turn of the century dress, lounging, playing, fishing, rowing, and sailing in this updated take on the French classic by George Seurat.

  SAVE THE DATE: Add September 15th and 16th, 2018, to your calendar because we are going to have a party! I’m having a Solo Show and Open Studio and YOU ARE INVITED! Here are the details: Date: Saturday, September 15th and Sunday, September 16th Time: 10 AM to 5 PM At: Pause Coffee Address:…

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The Image Appears in This Work-In-Progress, “Wild Horses”

A detail from The first application of ink to reveal the image for the painting, "Wild Horses".

This is the third phase in creating my painting: applying ink to the paint spatter to define the image. It’s a tense, but satisfying part of the process. The problem is ink splats happen! And you never know when. But there’s still a ways to go before this painting is finished. See the evolution of…

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Preliminary Sketches for the Painting, “Wild Horses”

A detail from A preliminary pencil sketch for the "Wild Horses" painting, of running, wild horses, featuring one looking back.

These pencil drafts (see the second image below) are the second phase in the creation of my paintings. (You can see the paint spatter in the first phase here.) They’re messy and loose and far from refined. But the looser they are, the more they keep the spirit of the initial inspiration for the painting.…

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The Paint Spatter That Inspired “Wild Horses”

A detail from A spatter of paint in violets and yellows from which the images for the "Wild Horses" painting emerged.

  Each one of my paintings starts with a spatter of paint. Pictured above is the spatter that inspired the painting, “Wild Horses”. I can always feel an excitement when I have a paint spatter that holds an image that I have yet to uncover. What can you see in this spatter? See the evolution…

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