Meet The Enchanted Visions Artist – Melissa McClanahan

Melissa McClanahan

Enchanted Visions Artist, Melissa McClanahan

Who is, “Melissa McClanahan”?  Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a lot of things to different people: A fairy godmother to some, tech-support, web designer/developer to others.  Mainly to myself I’m an eclectic dreamer.  I try to stay curious about life and the world.

How did you hear about Enchanted Visions and why did you want to become a member artist?

I found EV through browsing blogs, and coming across an artist and piece that I really loved. They had mentioned that the piece was done for the “Enchanted Visions art project.”  I thought that sounded super interesting – so I went and checked it out.  I was having a really bad round of art block at the time, and I was looking for something to light the creative fire back up in me. Im so glad I was accepted, it has really helped!

Each month, Enchanted Visions artists are challenged with creating a piece of art for that month’s theme.  Please share some of the art you have created for Enchanted Visions with us.  For each piece of art, please describe how it interprets that month’s theme, any story behind the art, and the theme’s meaning to you.

Anima Sola by Enchanted Visions artist, Melissa McClanahan To see without the censor bar please visit Enchanted Visions

AnimaSola – when I saw the words “Anima Sola” My brain interpreted it as some kind of animal spirit / or solar animal spirit.  When I looked up what it really meant, I liked the theme even more.  I strayed a bit from the traditional Catholic concept, but I really love the idea of reaching above your current situation. Which as I said before, artistically I was in a very stagnant/dead place when I came upon Enchanted Visions.  This was my first attempt to get myself out of it.

Silence by Enchanted Visions artist, Melissa McClanahan

Silence Sometimes you have to noodle around with a theme. Sketch it, write about it, meditate on it.  Sometimes an image just pops into your mind. That happened with Silence. I wanted to render a more active, vibrant aspect of silence. Which is why the chrysanthemum is in the woman’s mouth.  Sometimes to really open up, you need to shut up and shut out the outside world – so the inner world can expand. This piece is going to be in my first gallery show in December.

Balance by Enchanted Visions artist, Melissa McClanahan

Balance This September’s theme.  I love September, and I love balance (I’m a Libra to the teeth).  I went with showing the balance of Day and Night here.  But the faery of the daylight here is handing over his power to the Night.  Which is more-or less what happens around the Autumnal Equinox.

EV has a monthly auction of the work created.  Do you sell your work there?

Not yet!  This is something I plan to do when I have a bit more time to dedicate to EV themes.

Are there challenges knowing you are one of many artists creating art for the same EV theme?  Does this knowledge hinder you or give you momentum when creating for the monthly theme? 

I would say it gives me momentum. I love seeing other interpretations of a theme, the different styles ect. I see EV themes as a collective coming together vs. a competition.

Are you a story teller in your painting, using your imagination to create fiction with your art, or is your art a way to express feelings and emotion and/or portray the inner you?

I wish I could be a story teller – those people amaze me!  I’m more of an evoker.  I get a feeling or an emotion that needs to get released, so I put it out there. Its my hope that it evokes something in the viewer.  It doesn’t need to be the same as me, everyone’s different and will react to symbols in their own way.  But if even one piece evokes something, anything, in a viewer – I feel successful.

Describe (and provide a photograph if you like) of your studio/work space.   What would you change about it, if anything, for it to become your dream work space?

My current workspace is one of the bedrooms in my house.  For the most part I really love it – save for the cat box in the closet space.

My dream studio would be some creaky old Victorian house in the woods. It would have to have giant north-facing windows.  Plenty of space for large drawing desks and another place for cutting and matting.

“Paint” a picture of yourself for us using 10 colorful words to describe you, the total picture.

moody, passionate, fae, stubborn, mischievous, independant, loving, affectionate,  intellectual, badass.

If you would like to see more of Melissa’s art, you can find her at the following links:

http://liminalworks.net/

https://www.facebook.com/liminalworksart