"Vanishing" and "Questioning Reality"

Melissa Crawford's Artist Statement

Artist Statement

Melissa's love of art began in childhood. She was encouraged by her parents, and was fortunate to receive artistic ability from both sides of her family. Melissa knew early on that art would be a career for her. She recalls her first artistic business venture -it was in first grade. Melissa had an hour and a half school bus ride, so she decided to take advantage of that time, by selling drawings. Customers could choose from a "catalog" of pencil drawings, consisting of the day's popular cartoon characters. Prices ranged from 5 cents, all the way up to the high end, of $1.25.

Today, Melissa continues to be driven by her passion for art. She’s a fulltime artist, trying to keep a balance between commissioned portraits and non-commissioned gallery work. Her portraits have won numerous awards; recently she placed second in a prestigious competition juried by the countries most well known portrait artist, Raymond Kinstler. Though Melissa has a love for portraiture, and the relationships it builds, she also enjoys the freedom of creating non-commissioned paintings. She is able to explore any direction she wishes, and it’s a nice release from the pressures of portraits. Currently, the Jackalope’s Gallery, on the square in Carrollton, Georgia carries her work, and her portraits along with fees can be seen at georgiaportraits.com. There you can see Melissa’s commissioned portrait of Georgia’s longest residing Speaker of the House, Tom Murphy.

I would like to open a window for the viewer, to create a mood -perhaps of intrigue or surprise or serenity .The paintings are a window to my perspective, the way I like to see the world. Often times there is not a specific meaning behind the images. They are just meant to evoke thought and wonder.

Once the scene is created, it is the viewer's turn to step in and create his own story based on his impression. It could be a scene of contrast or serenity, and you decide what it means to you. What does exotic alongside the mundane evoke? It may evoke uneasiness or intrigue. But my hope is that it would cause you to examine your everyday life for the exotic or intriguing. And if you could not seem to find it, imagine what small change would make the difference. These small changes in perspective and insight are what I am searching for.

Consciously or subconsciously, I strive to make the viewer see that, indeed, on God's awesome creation, everything is possible. Our mind's are in control of what we decide to see. I choose to focus on the positive beauty and intrigue that is all around us. Allow your mind to create the world you desire.

Cat Paintings by Melissa Crawford

If You would like to see more of Melissa Crawford's wonderful paintings just go to her site at melissacrawfordart.com and enjoy her beautiful work.

Cat Pictures

Welcome to my Cat Picture blog. I will try to please you with some very nice cat pictures that I have found along with some very beautiful cat paintings. Please enjoy my cat picture site.