Original Oil Paintings by Melanie Banayat Inspiration To sum it up in one sentence my inspiration comes from the opportunity to turn something bad into something good. What a cool journey this is when we get second, and third, and forth chances in life! I think I'm working on my 4th chance now. I'm addicted to painting the human figure! The human figure completely intrigues me, and I simply cannot foresee my interest in figurative work ever diminishing, because it's not just the figure that I'm drawn to -- it's all the human elements within (warm, cold, hard, indifferent, scared, lonely, happy, sad, angry, hopeful, etc). If, through my work, I can help people see past the color of someone's skin or nationality and notice the humanness that we all share then that's worth every effort I put into every part of what I do! This isn't a job, it's a journey! I love it! Style & Technique My contemporary, figurative, oil paintings are remeniscent of the style known as Fauvism. My original art work is greatly influenced by the “Fuave” artists of 1898 –1908, as well as the expressionist artists who were the major influences on the Fauvism movement: Including such artist’s as Paul Gaugiun’s use of color, Henri Matisse’s vibrant energy, and Frida Khalo’s imaginative visual story telling. Fauvism rejected traditional painting, and emphasized modern concepts, notably motion. Inspired by the late impressionist works of Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh who pushed the boundaries with their bold color choices. The movement took this idea a step further to include simplified design. Fauvist’s work was derived from primitive and tribal art; and also Paul Gauguin’s color choice and style. Although the movement was short-lived, it had a profound influence on the development of the Expressionists. The name Fauvism was taken from the French word the "fauves," meaning the wild beasts. This title was appropriate because of their use of uncontrolled, abrasive, and intense colors. The primary focus of the Fauvist movement is non-naturalistic and vibrant color. Their aim was to express emotion through color choice.
Symbolism There is much symbolism behind my artwork as well. Though I do not identify myself with any organized religion or specific spiritual practice I do find much good in many the different beliefs & practices out in our world. I draw inspiration from the Shambala Buddhists traditional approach to art, called “Miksang”, in which the idea is to find joy and awareness by attending to the minor and seemingly insignificant -- the colors, patterns and textures that exist in the close-up world. Miksang is a Tibetan word that means "good eye." Shambhala’s think widespread use might lead to more compassionate and enlightened societies. I apply this idea to my human figures by creating a close up image of the subject and focusing on facial expressions, body language, and the use of bold colors to express their human emotions. Other symbols to take note of include bare feet, closed eyes, and leaves. The images are painted with bare feet to represent their connection to earth. Their eyes are usually closed to give a more introspective feel to the image, and lastly, the leaves in the paintings serve as reminders of the cycle of life.
Method I paint with oil on canvas using the traditional method of working ‘fat over lean’ (thicker layers of paint over thin layers of paint, allowing the colors from the previous layers to show through). Painting in this method allows for the layers of paint to dry for a day or two before applying the next layer; therefore, I often works on up to five paintings at once. RETAIL LOCATIONS CARRYING MY WORK Ranch Built Log Furniture Store in Beautiful downtown Prescott, Arizona
135 N. Cortez St., Prescott.
The Park Place Gallery. My work is represented at The Park Place Gallery located at 11560 Ash Street Leawood, Kansas 66211 gallery phone: 913.469.8001. www.theparkplacegallery.com * If you are interested in purchasing one of my original paintings
please contact me at (928) 239-5656.
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