My topic is INSPIRATION!!!!
What’s inspiring? Why? How does it translate to art????

One of the first answers that I came up with is People!!!! Not to paint but to be a witness in their journeys, be a part of their journey, see them grow and change. As a teacher I very much appreciate the journeys that I have been a part of.

I am honored to be able to know these special people who take my workshops and classes. I am very grateful that you always have enough faith in me to approach each project with an open mind and that you are confident that your work is respected and valued. Thank you for all you’ve given me. This article is dedicated to all of you.

When I first told Ruth that I would LOVE to be a guest on her blog, I was planning to write about beautiful spring camellias. I painted several of these—you know the great big red ones with the yellow centers that look so showy! Well, then the wisteria bloomed!!!!!! I think this is my very favorite spring flower.

“Wisteria Love” ©Melissa Gannon 15″ x 22″ on 100% cotton paper
$375.00

I love how the gnarly vines look dead all winter and then send out trailing stems with huge hanging blossoms in such abundance. It’s completely amazing. Then when the flowers begin to open, the leaves appear, all crinkly and new like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. It’s like a very quiet beginning that leads to a crescendo in a symphony. And the scents are spectacular!!!! I have photographed them every year, backlit, sidelit, in the rain, in the sun. I could photograph them for hours!

Over the years I have painted many interpretations of these flowers. What’s not to like??? Purples, greens, browns, flowing shapes, abundant clusters of flowers, and lovely scents. Spring has definitely arrived when the wisteria decide to bloom.

Washes of Inspiration

My favorite way to paint these flowers is with a flowing wash of either ink or watercolor, using strong colors and lots of water and granulation medium to break up the paint into pigment dots. There’s something about alternating rich blues, purples, lavenders and greens with juicy paint that totally satisfies all the artist pieces inside me.

Figuring out what to do with the resulting wash is always a pleasure and a puzzle! How do I showcase the colors and depth of the many flower clusters and where do I put those greens and those brown bits of woody vine? One of my favorite parts is adding the squiggly vines at the end.

Wisteria Treasure Original watercolor ©Melissa Gannon 15″ x 11″ on 100% cotton paper $189.00

While wisteria is my current inspiration, it will be replaced down the road with something else that calls my name and sits in my head until I render it in some fashion with my paints in multiple renditions. So, I guess for me inspiration is always changing, always ready to come in when I open the door, always there to challenge me to make a new and different statement. No matter how many times I paint the same thing, I always find something new, different or interesting in shape, color, value, or design.

See more of Melissa Gannon’s work at www.melissagannon.com.

Thanks Melissa!

If you’d like to read a few of the other guest posts from this month-long celebration, follow the links below.