< Artists
MELONIE STEFFES, Painting
Melonie Steffes uses oil on canvas to tell stories.
" I am interested in painting as a magical tool
with which I can prolong the moments of deeper connection
through a form that can also be shared with others,
understanding that they will find their own meanings,
questions and conclusions,” she says.
Steffes flourishes as mother-artist-gardener, three
identities which she believes form a circle of the same
— nurishing, creative, earthy. Her new work reflects
the expression of her feminine humanity.
“My head and heart are like the shell and agitator
of a washing machine--churning all the time with ideas
and imagery. When I create a piece of art, I’m
pulling out one item of laundry and pinning it up on
the line, observing how it hangs as it dries. One can
learn a lot about a person from peeking over the fence
at their clothesline,” she explains.
The artist is a self-taught painter who enjoys the
never-ending process and challenge of learning through
interaction with other artists, piles of library books,
and most of all just painting.
“My paintings tell stories. They ask questions.
They are my prayers and offerings as I try to understand
this existence," says Steffes.
She lives in Interlochen, Michigan with her husband
and son.
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