Posts in Category: fine art
Last Chance to catch me at an outdoor art show this year and photos from Aspen~
Melynda with “Centering Within #19” 60 x 48
This month is your last chance to catch me at an outdoor arts festival this year! I start out September this weekend (Sept. 8 & 9) at the Rockbrook Village Art Fair in Omaha, NE.
My only outdoor show in Iowa will be Sept. 23 in Ames, IA for the Octagon Art Festival.
Your final chance to enjoy the fresh air and an outdoor art fair where I’ll be exhibiting is the beautiful Peoria Art Fair in Peoria, IL on Sept. 28, 29 & 30. Come and enjoy an art fair-we’d love to see you.
Aspen Art Fair Aspen, CO
John Denver Sanctuary Gardens
Aspen!
So many of you have been asking “How was your show in Aspen?!?” Well, friends it was a true adventure. My first art show in the mountains and as expected it was BEAUTIFUL.
The park where the show was held was full of lush green grass and next door to the gorgeous John Denver Sanctuary Gardens. The garden is full of huge rocks carved with the words of John Denver’s songs and other inspirational quotes.
Early in the morning before the show, I walked the trails through the garden, beside the babbling brook, and in the midst of hundreds of blooming wild flowers-it revived my soul.
I might have needed some “reviving” after the days leading up to the show, full of packing and loading, and then many miles through the mountains with our new trailer. We got up each mountain but we might have gone reallllly slow through a few mountain passes with our truck feeling the full weight of the load.
The quality of work at the show was outstanding, but we were beset with a few challenges from nature-rain, hail, and forest fires which caused the closure of the Aspen airport for the weekend.
Hail and rain in Aspen
Hiking in Aspen with the best art show helper there is~
Truly a weekend to remember. I was so grateful to have the help of my husband and two teenage sons who helped me. After we were done at the show, we got to enjoy hiking and eat some great pizza together!
Featured Artwork-Springfield Art Fair Community Project
“Spheres of Completion” ©Melynda Van Zee
I’m pleased to announce that my painting “Spheres of Completion” will be the featured artwork for the Community Project at the upcoming 57th Springfield, IL Old Capitol Art Fair on May 19 and 20, 2018. An image of my painting “Spheres of Completion” will be enlarged to 6 ft x 10 ft and then divided into 308 5 in x 5 in squares. Each one of these squares will be painted by the public and adhered to magnetic tiles at the art fair. Then, piece-by-piece the painted squares will be reassembled on a large magnetic board. The completed community project piece will be on display at the Illinois State Museum for the next year and at the 2019 art fair. I’m looking forward to seeing cooperation and creativity in action as festival goers participate in this interactive project by painting their very own section of the finished piece! Come join the fun this Saturday, May 19 from 10am-5pm and Sunday, May 20 from 10-4pm.
In celebration of the community project at the Old Capitol Art Fair, I’ve created a series of mini-works inspired by the original painting “Spheres of Completion”. Stop by Booth #95 to see the original “Spheres of Completion” painting and see the inspired mini-works in a similar rainbow color palette which will be available for purchase. There will be so much color for everyone to enjoy!
New Shows and New Work
New work in Progress
This is the time of year when the anticipation starts mounting-I’ve been working in the studio preparing for a new art fair show year. This involves much sketching, journaling, sorting, organizing, preparing canvases, dealing with filing taxes and show applications. And, after all the many hours of preparation, the fits and starts, painting a new body of work.
More new color from the studio
I’m so excited to share this new work as I hit the road traveling. We will be spreading our art fair wings this year- traveling to three new shows in Springfield, IL, Topeka, KS and Aspen, CO. Can’t wait to meet new art friends out on the road. We are also looking forward to returning to several previous shows. The schedule isn’t finalized yet so keep checking back to see if we might be able to connect again in person this year.
- Old Capitol Art Fair, Springfield, IL May 19-20, 2018 Booth #95
- Mulvane Art Fair, Topeka, KS June 2-3, 2018
- Spring Green Arts and Crafts Fair, Spring Green, WI June 23-24, 2018
- Aspen Art Festival, Aspen, CO July 21-22, 2018
- Rockbrook Village Art Fair, Omaha, NE September 8-9, 2018
Collaboration is Key to Creativity
You Are Light 60×40(2) © Melynda Van Zee 2018
I recently created several colorful paintings for a lovely home. One of the great joys of working on this project was the opportunity to collaborate with the owners of this home. I really enjoyed working closely with this family as they studied my work and decided which colors and sizes they would like for their original paintings. After we discussed the many options and possibilities and made final decisions, I went to work in the studio to dive into making their vision come to life.
You Are Light 60×40 © Melynda Van Zee 2018
One facet of the commission process that I particularly enjoy is that my clients become like an art director for the project. Their likes and desires and favorite colors and settings all play into the creative process. Together we envision the finished work. Collaboration is a key to creativity!
Wind and Waves 48 x 36 © Melynda Van Zee 2018
I’ve had so many fabulous experiences as I’ve collaborated to create unique and personalized original work with the insight and direction of my clients.
Wind and Waves Detail 48×36 © Melynda Van Zee 2018
If you are looking for more color and gorgeous artwork in your work or living spaces, please contact me here in the studio at [email protected]. I’d love to collaborate with you to add inspiration to your life.