texas landscape – Melanie Stokes Art

November 6, 2024

Balancing Rhythm and Rest

When I taught elementary students in Art Education, the principle of Visual Rhythm was easily grasped when I connected it with Music. After the students demonstrated a variety of rhythmic beats with their hands and defined musical rhythm, then I pointed to a painting and said, “In musical rhythm we hear repeated elements. In visual rhythm we SEE the repeated elements of Lines, Shapes, Colors…!

As I painted this scene from my yard in October, I thought about those days of encouraging children to repeat patterns in their painting to suggest movement and activity. And, I thought about my days with the struggle of trying to balance the Rhythm of Days with the Stability of Rest. It’s a problem with which I think many identify.

The hay bales are gathered in a row, waiting to be used during winter. The fall clouds are rushing across the sky, blowing in breezes. The migratory birds are flying in patterns overhead, trying to get to the next place before dark. The hay bales remain static; waiting, resting, and taking in the peace of the moment.

This 24×30 painting was a favorite at the recent Austin Avenue Art Fair in Waco, Texas. I enjoyed talking with people about why and what I paint. The painting is in a floater frame, available through me at $900, as of this writing!

May you find Rest in the Rhythm of your days!

June 22, 2024June 22, 2024

A Freshly-Cut Path

A Freshly-Cut Path 11×14 oil

I went outside, planning to paint the sunflowers. But the vastness of the land and sky was more of what I needed in my soul to process some BIG thoughts. Often, in my life, I need to be guided to look past the petty details and into the bigger picture.

Big shapes, and contrast in light and dark values, are what artists focus on to begin an impressionistic landscape.

And once the big things are in place, the details can be more easily added.

On a personal note, my younger brother has recently had a stroke which paralyzed the complete right side of his body. I am “his family” and I am four states away as he navigates being in hospital and physical therapy facilities, and is dealing with confirming a long term residency and “new normal.” I have been getting “caught up in the details,” spinning in anxiety, and exploring all the possibilities, as I try to be helpful by phone for lack of knowing what to do. After a good talk with him on the phone last night, this painting session came this morning, as I was reminded to keep my eyes on the “big picture,” the workings of all things together for good, and the grace of God in our lives.

I remind myself that it is easy for me to come to grips with his situation by painting therapeutically. Meanwhile, he is dealing with learning to use his non-dominant hand while navigating a wheelchair and finding some small joy each day in a new place. I empathize, but have no idea what he is really experiencing. My pain is nothing compared to his.

My hope and prayer is that a “freshly-cut path” will be cleared, and make it easier for him to navigate this complete upheaval of life. I pray that we can keep our eyes on the larger scope of things and not fret about the details.

As I paint, I first look past the small things and squint my eyes to see only the big shapes. Once the big shapes are blocked in, the details can be added with a grand pop of color in the end.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1Corinthians 13:12

May 25, 2024May 26, 2024

Headed Home, Again

A few years ago, I painted an evening skyscape with only a few tiny cows walking in a line on a ribbon of a landscape and called it Headed Home. So, when the title “Headed Home” came to mind for this new landscape, I named it Headed Home, Again. Then, I started thinking of the implications of that title.

Home is the place we return to day after day. We head home — again and again. And there is comfort in that. Home is a place to go to after a busy day. Home is a place where others greet you. Home is a place you can kick off your shoes and relax. Home is a place you can be. And, it also makes me think of the eternal, heavenly home that I believe in, through faith in Jesus Christ.

My home has never been on a country road. (Not counting the two years we lived in Sierra Leone.) I grew up in a subdivision, where all the kids rode bikes together and knew who lived in each house. My adult years have been in a variety of settings, moving in ministry with my minister husband. We have never lived in such a place as this — with wide open acres, surrounded by magnificent skies and cow pastures. This is now our “home.”

Mart, Texas is about twenty minutes from Waco, Texas. So after going shopping, or banking, or to get a haircut, or to church, or to attend an art event, the ride back home goes from the congested craziness of downtown Waco, to the endless Loop 340, to rural roads like this. When I turn off the Loop onto Elk Road, I notice that I inhale with a relaxed breathing and almost a sigh of relief that I am back on “country roads.” Obstacles in the road, and rude drivers, can be accepted better when they come upon you one at a time on a deserted road!

Maybe it’s because I am older now. Maybe it’s that in 45 years of marriage, my husband has helped me see that there is much to enjoy in the quietness of nature. Maybe it’s the place God speaks to me the most, when I look at these vast skies. Maybe I have finally become a person of contentment. (No, probably not. I’m still working on contentment.) 🙂 But, when I travel a fence-lined road in the country, I’m headed home.

February 6, 2024February 6, 2024

Morning Light

Painted during the late summer when the hay grass had turned a Naples Yellow, this landscape is currently on my guest room wall. I walked in there today, noticed it, and said to myself, “I had forgotten about that one!”

I don’t know how I forgot about it, except that it was painted at a time when I was in between shows. It wasn’t dry enough for “From the Ground Up.” And then, life got busy, so I just put it out for sale on my website today!

I love the finished painting as much as I loved the morning light when it hit that yellow hayfield one summer morning. It was one of those mornings that grabbed my attention and said, “Paint me!” I probably had a coffee cup in my hand, walked out on the porch to breathe, before the Texas heat took over by 10:00 a.m., and used my cell phone to record the scene, for reference in a painting.

The painting, Morning Light, is in my guest room, for now. But, if it gets your attention and you are interested, be my guest! The paintings on my walls are often changed. (And I wonder if my husband notices.)

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023

Protection and Provision

After a long, hot Texas Summer of no rain, we (as in the collective, whole county “we”) were thrilled to see the storm clouds of September rolling in. The dark clouds and hailstorms came, but we all were glad to see the parched earth become covered in green again.

The water in the tanks, ponds, lakes and streams began to rise and the cattle did not have quite as far to stretch into the mud to obtain a drink. Now in November, Lake Waco is able, after a few years, to supply water to all the households which depend on it.

The photo references for these paintings were taken on a walk through our property. Both images were striking enough to make me want to paint them. And as I painted, the titles, Protection and Provision, came to my thoughts

How many times have I used those words, as I prayed for my own or another’s needs? “Lord, grant us Protection and Provision in these days.” Two “P” words that sound poetic, but are packed with power and meaning.

I hope the images speak. The titles speak. But my words will also speak of the Protection of an Almighty God. I see this in a variety of circumstances, in amazing miracles that have happened, and in retrospective realizations as I live through these years. I live in gratitude for the Provision of daily needs, as I continue to trust God. Just when we think the water is as low as it can go, the rains come. We are restored and ready to move ahead.

June 21, 2023June 21, 2023

Just Over the Fence

Just Over the Fence 12×12 oil

This is the view I see from my porch. I often sit out there, drinking coffee in the mornings when the weather cooperates. For several days I have been noticing the morning sun glinting off of the red horse trailer, surrounded by wild sunflowers against the overgrown summer greens. And even if it is the first day of summer and we are already hitting temps of close to 100, I sat under the porch shade and painted from 9 to 10 a.m.

Yes, I have things I need to get painted in the studio. But, this morning, painting en plein air became the priority. While I painted, I listened to the birds sing, felt the warmth of sunshine, and even detected a coyote pup barking somewhere in the brush. All of this was necessary to remind me of why I paint what I paint. A snippet of time, an hour actually, was recorded with colors of paint and a variety of textures to proclaim beauty, and wonder, and miracles that grow from seeds. And I never tire of examining and marveling at it – this natural world in which we live.

Just Over the Fence – 12×12 en plein air

May 2, 2023May 2, 2023

First Spring

The new calf walks awkwardly, trying to get used to the way her legs work. And the mama cow, (we call her Red), walks along beside Little Red Pepper, casting a shadow of protection over her, as she experiences her first spring.

I enjoy watching cow behaviors! Sometimes Red walks beside, sometimes leading in front, and sometimes nudging her calf along from the back. But I can see patterns of protectiveness and guidance from the mother figure. And when she needs to graze further away, she leaves the little one in the care of the black angus that we call “Karen” (because Karen seems to be in everyone’s business).

Painted from my photo reference and experience, I enjoyed depicting this promise of spring. Red Pepper has been peppy from those first days. She is old enough now to run around the pasture, venture further from Mom, and is looking very healthy.

The warmth of spring light, the excitement of blossoms and flowers budding and blooming, and new life on the prairie always bring hope for days ahead. Walk forward in the light, little one, but come back near the herd when you need them.

December 30, 2022September 28, 2024

As Ducks Fly…

This landscape, from a photo on our property, was used for demonstration in the recent Earth and Sky workshop. The 11×14 study had been on a table in my studio for a few weeks when I felt compelled to paint it in a larger 24×30 format. It was one of those paintings that simmered for a few weeks, as I made minor adjustments. And before I knew it…the ducks were flying in, or out, depending on the weather, both outside and in my painting.

We have a pond (or tank, as people around here call it) and are often entertained by the migrating birds that come around. The ducks stay for awhile. And then something changes and they leave. It could be the wind, the temperature, a predator, an event that disturbs their peace, or the need to get up and find food. As they fly, they usually go together, making the trip easier. “There is safety in numbers.” Sometimes, I see one staying behind. Maybe he/she is more brave. Maybe he/she is tired of the group. Maybe he/she is lost.

It’s a thing to ponder: How do they decide where to land? Seasons change, circumstances shift. Then, as ducks fly, maybe we do, too.

Ducks can’t fly backwards. (Or so the internet states.) So, here’s to a New Year of flying straight ahead. Remember to land and rest. Enjoy the company of others. And when seasons change, move on. Oh, one more fact: ducks remember where they came from and often return year after year to visit.

September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

Separation Day

The Mama Cows gathered at the corral gate, wondering why the calves were being herded into the trailer, not knowing that the young ones were about to be taken away.

This was the scene I captured with my camera on the day that the year old calves were taken to another place. (We won’t speculate as to whether they were going to another grazing area or to market. The cows on our property belong to someone else, who leases the pasture from us.) We get attached to the cows, watch them from birth, give them names, feed them by hand (well, my husband does that.) And we are glad to have them on our acreage.

Being the novice rancher that I am, I did not expect what came next… As the truck and trailer rattled away with five calves, the cows began to bellow! And they bellowed and bellowed for about two days. They knew those babies were missing. They thought if they kept calling, they would come back. They knew they were supposed to be checking on them and keeping them safe.

As the wails went on, my “mama heart” hurt for their pain. Can cows have emotional pain? They wanted to care for their young, but the new distance was making that impossible. I thought about the times I’ve had physical and emotional distance from my own children. I thought about women who lose children through custody battles, illnesses, adoptions, and miscarriages. I thought about mothers and children and the heartaches that come with the joys. And then, I remembered… for goodness sake, we are talking about cows, here!

The stark contrast of the darks and lights drew me into the scene. The barricade of the gate seemed so final against their faces. The cows’ attention toward those leaving was a shared experience for the ones left behind. Their wails of mourning subsided after a few days. And, once again, the remaining cows became content to stroll from back to front pasture, searching for the perfect blade of grass.

September 4, 2022September 4, 2022

Glory Fills the Skies! a Solo Show of Visual and Written Observations by Melanie Stokes

What a thrill it is to see three years worth of paintings and writings, all hanging in one gallery!

At Warehouse Living Arts Center 119 W. 6th Avenue Corsicana, TX

If you have been following this Texas journey, you know how I’ve been obsessed with observing the big skies and painting them. These twenty five paintings are each 24×30 gallery wrapped canvas with painted edges. Though I do paint en plein air often, these were painted in the studio from my own photos and studies. And most of them were inspired from our property, right here in Mart, Texas.

The show, Glory Fills the Skies!, will be at the Warehouse Living Arts Center in Corsicana, Texas until September 28. I am grateful to the many who came to the opening reception to share this experience with me. And I love watching people use the QR codes to read The Story Behind the Paintings on my website.

Here are a few other opportunities to visit the show during September:

Weekdays until September 28 – 12 noon to 5 p.m.

September 8, 6:00-7:15 p.m. Meet the Artist (Before opening of Our Town theatre production by WLAC)

September 12 – 10 a.m. – FBC Waco Senior Life Group Visit

SATURDAY, September 17 – 12 noon to 5 p.m.

AND, be watching for the release of the images on my website for those who would like to visit and purchase via internet. Sign up for my newsletter to be sure you are notified when released.

Each painting is $550, (plus sales tax and shipping.) A few samples…

Glory Fills the Skies!