Mooment of Zen. Melinda Self, artist
By Gina Malone
Bleating Around the Bush. Melinda Self, artist
Melinda Self’s love of color and design is rooted in her childhood years. Her parents were both creative around the home—with sewing, woodworking and chair caning—and her mother, particularly, encouraged her and enrolled her in art classes in drawing and pottery. “I definitely feel like my creative tendencies come from my family,” Melinda says. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, she worked for 20 years as a graphic designer and art director for newspapers, individual clients and advertising agencies. “Painting has always been a hobby until the last five years when it has come more to the forefront of my daily activities,” she says.
Hurricane Helene devastated her home and work lives. She and her husband and two children lost their home and two cars, and she lost her studio at Riverview Station as well. “I have continued to work this past year,” she says, “but it has been on a bit of a smaller scale due to these other life stressors. We have since rebuilt our home and were able to move back in in September. My art and the connections I have made through it really helped keep me going and pushed me to continue painting and working.” She works now from a home studio, but looks forward to getting back to the River Arts District when the right studio space comes available.
xoxo. Melinda Self, artist
Her mixed media paintings start with an abstract background and she lets herself develop the subject and composition as she continues to paint. “I use many different materials, including found and made papers, acrylic paint and ink, charcoal, oil pastels, pencils and other mark-making tools,” she says. “Sometimes I have an idea in mind, but usually when that is the case the painting goes in an entirely different direction. Sometimes I paint over a painting two or three times before I am happy with it. I always like to include pieces of the under layers that I like as I build on the painting.”
She finds painting “meditative and interesting,” yet also “exciting,” and tries to have fun as she creates, letting the process take her where it wants to go.
“Art helps me feel connected to the world and to other people,” Melinda says. “Creating it allows me to process my emotions and make sense of life in a visual way—one that, I hope, also helps others feel a sense of connection.” She rarely goes a day without taking up her paintbrush. “It helps with anxiety and it just makes me happy, in general, to have something to work on.”
Lonesome Cowboy. Melinda Self, artist
Although she considers herself relatively new to her art career, she finds that she has made many connections to others, both online and in-person, through her art. “I love making funny figures and animals that make people laugh or feel a certain way,” she says. Often, the titles she gives her paintings—Mooment of Zen and Bleating Around the Bush, as examples—add to the humor she hopes to convey. “Or sometimes my characters look sad and contemplative. When people connect with my work and reach out to me, it inspires me to continue introducing these creatures to the world.”
Melinda Self’s work is available at Seven Sisters Gallery in Black Mountain and at Marquee in Asheville. She also maintains an Etsy shop online at MelindaSelfArt.com. Find her on Instagram @m.self.art. Seven Sisters Gallery is located at 119 Broadway Avenue, Black Mountain. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
