artist

Unexpected Gifts and the Art of Resurrecting Bees

My husband gave me a wondrous gift the other day..

a dead carpenter bee he found in the yard.

He knows me so well.

This beautiful

black-velvety little creature

and his single coppery wing..

will live again

in my paintings.

 

 

ATROPHY, PAINTING AND THE ART OF BEING UNLEASHED

I didn’t paint much

while I was working on my book.

But now..

I am unleashed.

I painted and painted

and painted.

 

That night..

my hand hurt like crazy.

Muscles aching from disuse;

I smiled to myself

in the dark.

 

All I could think about

was more painting.

 

 

 

 

Enthusiasm and the Art of Losing Your Mind

Work in progress, by Michele Bledsoe

 

It is rare when I introduce something new

to my beloved palette of colors…

That is an understatement.

 

But when I returned to my easel

after finally finishing my new book..

it appears that I have wondrously

and joyfully

lost my mind.

 

Without hesitation

I started gathering strange tubes of paint

one after another..

 

And as I fearlessly applied these alien pigments

to my work in progress,

I understood the true meaning of enthusiasm:

To be possessed by God.

 

Cerulean Blue, Sap Green, Yellow Oxide… I had to write them down so I wouldn’t forget.

Golden Raisins and the Art of Natural Beauty

Instead of our regular raisins,

my husband and I picked up some golden raisins

during our weekly trip to the grocery store.

 

When we opened the box

it almost took my breath away.

We marveled at the rich colors –

an assortment of gold, deep yellow and amber

tumbling like leathery gems

into our open hands.

 

Since we are both painters..

we tried to identify the colors we saw

in terms of paint:

Yellow Oxide?

Turner’s yellow….?

Burnt sienna??

 

As artists, we can only attempt to reproduce

these beautiful objects with brush and pigment –

We might even come close..

but they would taste awful.

 

 

Precious Gems and the Art of Rediscovery

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.

 

 

Negative Space and the Art of Being Yourself

 

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.

 

 

Remodern America and the Art of Divine Intervention

 

My husband Richard’s book is now available on Amazon.

Remodern America is educational, entertaining and inspiring..

Almost equally inspiring is the story behind the book.

It is an epic tale of detached retinas,

aquariums

and divine intervention..

but most of all,

it is a love story.

 

Painting and the Art of Not Having a Clue

When I first started painting

I had no idea what I was doing..

but that didn’t matter.

All I needed

was the unshakable

unrelenting desire

to create.

 

Secret Galleries and the Art of Home Repairs
.
We had an art show a few weeks ago
with a single attendee..
the handyman who came to repair our wall.
.
He examined the paintings that surrounded him
while he worked..
and as the plaster dried
he walked around
staring at all the art.
.
He spoke to us about our paintings
and shared stories of his own collection of art..
his father’s landscape paintings
which he treasured.
.
As he was leaving
he thanked us for the experience
and his unexpected trip
into an art exhibit.
.
This is art the way it is meant to be
not cloistered away in a sterile, white-walled gallery
but as a part of everyday life..
living in our homes
like family.
.