Thursday, December 14, 2006

Sugar Cube
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Sugar Cube
Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 36x36"

Detail

It looks so different depending on the ambient light. I painted it with a halogen spotlight on the canvas, and then when I turned it off at the finish, I was surprised at how the color shifted. In essence both of these views are accurate, depending...

Anyway, I feel fantastic, having gotten this out of my system. I am all about "All Color, All the Time" and this painting experience was all that and more. I got to play with gooey paint and had the fun of making a myriad of tiny compositions. The quiltiness of the composition isn't lost on me. I see echoes of colorwash...something I never did with fabrics. But you know, having spent two whole days on this exercise, was fullfilling in ways that have nothing to do with finishing a project.

As a kid, worrying about what I would become as an adult, the thought of not making it into the painter's Hall of Fame was so daunting that I almost gave up before I got started. In my mind, the next possible alternative to 'greatness' was a second place finish, characterized as mediocrity. I would rather have been a miserable yet noble failure than to be labeled mediocre. I carried around a host of New York Times Art Critics, sitting on my shoulders, denying my work any value or my future any hope.

Who would have even considered a middle ground at that innocent age? The middle ground is where we all live. We don't inhabit the ether of the upper crust of New York society, do we? Leo Castelli and Clement Greenberg are never going to pay attention to my humble attempts at art, but I worried nonetheless. Where are they now and who cares what they think?

As a kid I would never have imagined that I would have my own daily television show (which is what I think this blog is, for heaven's sake. Just how delusional am I?) and that you Dear Reader would be championing me in my efforts, supporting me and the work despite my trampolining from one genre to another and back again. Boing boing boing. Such is the condition of wanting to accomplish a life's worth of work in a month and a half, before I have to get back on the horse and ride out of town.




15 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:44 PM

    I love your show and watch everyday. I may not leave comments but I am watching. How about re-inventing your inner child and don't worry about being an adult and just create art.

    Blogger is not letting me xhoose an identity so I as sign off as anonymous but I really am Debbi at http://dubiquilts.blogspot.com
    dubiquilts@dubiquilts.com (email)

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  2. Love the "Cube". Watching your daily show is like watching a flower bloom. You continually amaze.

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  3. And what a great show it is! I love the sugar cube. All color all the time..very you!

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  4. Anonymous12:30 AM

    It's all about "color" and you've got it. It is superb!

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  5. Oh my god I love it!!!!! The candy colours, the little squares. I want it!!! I doubt whether I could afford it though if you were selling it!

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  6. Dear Ms. Mel, I love to read your blog and started from the very beginning - and I am very delighted by your shifts from quilting to painting to knitting! It makes me feel to be a part in a large group of maybe mediocre but surely creative people taking their love for life and for art seriously in a playful way! I am lookong forward to see you next summer in Switzerland!

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  7. Anonymous5:20 AM

    go Melody go

    Once again thanks and merry Christmas

    Catherine

    Scotland

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  8. leo castelli is dead-and you're....well...hot, honey hot!!!

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  9. This is so you. I love it.

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  10. Mel,
    It is reminicent of one of your old quilts (I've forgotten the name but always loved it). The painting however is much richer, has more depth. It's the transparency of the paint in the overlap areas, the edges, that makes the painting more dynamic. You just can't get that with fabric.

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  11. Your color sense is scary, y'know that don't you? Sweet Sugar Cube!

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  12. Boing, boing, boing indeed! Love it!

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  13. Daily television show -- i love it. And this painting is fantastic! What are you going to do with all your recent works?

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  14. Anonymous1:36 PM

    LOL, I am thinking O*M*G! It is really Oh Ms Greatness!
    Wonderful.

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  15. I'm commenting without reading this entry or the other comments, which is unlike me, but I have cookies going....

    I am making this into a quilt. There, I said it. I love it as a painting. I am making it into a quilt. And very soon....

    Mwahahahahaaaa!

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Hello,
So nice of you to drop by. I love your comments, and if you would really like a reply, please email me at fibermania at g mail dot com