So Many Days, So Many Dead Show

8″X10″ acrylic on hardboard by Mellanie Collins

8″x 10″ acrylic on canvas by Mellanie Collins

In September, I was invited to submit a few painting to the Fall opener at People’s Art Gallery. The October show is called “So Many Days, So Many Dead and its a mash-up of Halloween, Day of the Dead, and anything creepy, dead, or undead.

I was so excited when I received the invite, but then I saw the deadline. I had about 10 days to make a couple of paintings for the show. My first impulse was to give up and not do it. I’m a slow painter and the theme is not something I usually connect with. But then my instinct told me that I should stop being a coward and just try. It would nag at me if I let a chance to exhibit go just because I was lacking in confidence.

So I knuckled down and started to paint. I started with a classic Karloff type mad scientist and started having fun. Then I decided to try an undead woman. I didn’t want to do a zombie. I think they’re ugly and it would have been too much work. I just figured I’d make a sort of vampire woman. After agonizing over what to do, I kind of seized up again. I just didn’t know how to approach the painting. When I make my faces, I work so hard at making the eyes look alive. With this painting I had trouble figuring out how to make someone look undead, while still making a portrait that would make me happy. I struggled, swore, muttered to my muse and eventually I ended up with something I was pleased with.

So yay! I managed to get my paintings finished, framed (my husband made them up for me – sweet man!), and dropped off at the gallery with a day to spare.

The show will be over soon.  It closes on Sunday, Nov 15.  Now I’m working on paintings for another show in December.  Yes, I’m doing the Big 500 again and I’m so excited!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers