Throughout my years as a painter
I have discovered the most exquisite paint combinations.
Secret colors..
Soft, dusty violets and
the faded, lovebird green of my childhood bedroom.
My husband Richard is also an artist
and we share our secret colors
joyfully..
Painter to painter;
Husband and wife.
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If you would like to help support this blog, and brighten my day – please buy a book.
Thank you!
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When I paint,
I spend a lot of time staring at my work.
It is an essential part of the artistic process.
Leaning back in my chair
I contemplate every line..
Examining shape, color and shadow
exploring possibilities.
I could do this for hours..
just sitting here
watching paint dry.
.
.
.
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If you would like to help support this blog, and brighten my day – please buy a book.
Thank you!
.
I am a slow painter.
Lovingly
working with my tiny brushes
for hours
or months
or even years
on a single painting.
Time does not exist in the place
where art comes from..
only bliss
and God.
.
.
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If you would like to help support this blog, and brighten my day – please buy my book. Thank you!
“The Legacy of Mildred’s Basement” by Michele Bledsoe
When I was a child
my favorite place to play was in my grandmother’s basement.
I would stay down there
for hours on end.
That was so many years ago.
All gone now,
along with my beloved grandma..
but not really.
I still go there
when I paint.
When I paint
I put a blob of raw umber on my palette
and start drawing on the canvas.
I don’t stop to think about what I’m doing
I go wherever my paintbrush takes me.
Often it leads me into difficult territory..
Not away from it.
Hands are hard,
yet the creature that ended up on my canvas
has six of them.
So I struggle.
I fight.
I am committed to the end.
Dedicated to the direction of my gift
and the heart that guides me..
I will never give up.
Don’t avoid the hard stuff.
That’s how you grow.
Excerpt from Painting, Passion and the Art of Life by Michele Bledsoe
Paintings by Michele Bledsoe
I am obsessed with trees..
and pieces of trees.
Planks and chunks
of carved wood,
branches and leaves
I paint them all the time..
cultivating my weird
deconstructed forest
on canvas.
Being that my husband and I are both artists..
our family Christmas tradition
involves painting.
We have been working on this tree for many years.
Every December, we pull it out of storage
and get to work.
Taking turns
adding details
My sisters have also contributed..
picking up a brush to add their mark
to a tree decorating ceremony
captured on canvas.
42 Dogs by Michele Bledsoe
There are books on my shelf that I have read dozens of times..
maybe hundreds.
I could say the same for certain movies.
Experiencing such a deep passion for something
will do that to you.
Maybe it’s just me.
The painting you see is called 42 dogs.
I wasn’t trying to be cryptic
or intentionally weird..
the title is actually quite literal.
While painting it, I listened to Pink Floyd’s “Dogs”
42 times in a row.
Inside the treasure chest.. paintings by Richard and Michele Bledsoe
Since my husband and I are both painters..
we have a lot of art on the walls.
“We live inside a treasure chest.” Richard often says..
I couldn’t agree more.
I have spent countless hours
wandering around my house
staring at one piece
or another..
discovering and rediscovering
each precious jewel
again and again.
The Church of Instinct, As Above So Below and From the Old House by Michele Bledsoe
Just as the negative space
around an object
will define its shape..
You can tell a lot about a person
by what they like.
These things reveal something about us..
But art is different.
More than just a human-shaped outline
formed by the things we respond to..
When you create art
it IS you.
