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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A Sneak Peek of a New Version of a Famous Painting

A detail sneak peek of the newest painting by Melani Grube in her Masters Revisited series: the legs and bare feet of a man and woman, amongst many-colored flowers.

  Something special to share at my Open Studio Party and Solo Show at Pause Coffee House in September. (To see more about this, see below.)   Can you guess which famous painting this piece is based on? It’s okay, I’ve given you a deceptive detail from it. I had to choose an outlying part…

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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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Play Big!

Detail of an Illustration (by Melani Grube) of a woman playing a very large string bass, a ribbon-framed corner and a flurry of butterflies emerging from the strings.

  How are you enjoying your Saturday? Let me encourage you to: Play Big! Work, rest or play, let’s put everything we’ve got into each day,  and we will make a difference in our lives and the world around us. Fiddle on.

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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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Horse Protection Day

Detail from pen and ink illustration of a cantering horse, mane flowing, tail flying behind.

  Horse Protection Day is March 1st (I know I missed it by a couple months. I just found out about it.) It was founded by pet lifestyle expert and animal behaviorist Colleen Page to bring awareness to the plight of both wild horses and unwanted horses being auctioned to be slaughtered for their meat.…

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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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