Melody was one of the first people I followed on Twitter, when I saw her artwork mentioned by another friend. She is one of those lucky people who makes a living with her creativity. She has recently illustrated a children’s book for a very talented young writer. Melody is a very strong, very positive person and I wanted to hear more about the force behind her art.
Spring Chipmunk
To me, creativity is the means by which I can share all things that move me in life. As an artist, I am especially affected by what I see. I think in images, dream in images and am deeply moved by what passes before my eyes. For example, when I am out jogging on a country road (which I do often) I see spectacular vistas, the sunlight hitting distant mountains just so, or a whimsically meandering spring vine creeping along a fencepost. When I see these things, my heart wells with inspiration and I am compelled to capture that on paper.
My favorite part about being an artist is the actual process of creating art. When I begin a miniature painting, I find myself becoming completely enamored with my subject, whether it is a woodland creature or whimsical cat. With each stroke I am more in awe of this spirit and throw myself into capturing what inspires me. It’s a process filled with heart and my hope is that I can convey at least some of this feeling in each painting I create.
Zebra
Sometimes I am delighted and slightly surprised when I complete a really successful painting. It’s like I get totally lost in the process, fully intent and concentrating deeply on my subject, then when I come up for air and step away from the piece, it’s a thrill to see what has come to life!
I have been painting tiny little pieces known as ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions, and Originals) for about six years and am still excited about this small format. Below is a piece written by a friend which conveys how I feel about painting miniatures:
The Secret of Miniature Art
~ Written by Carol Rosinski
The secret about miniature art is the intense sense of intimacy that is experienced when you hold a piece in your hand. When a piece of art is so small that it can rest in the palm of your hand, you are being gently invited to bring it a little closer to your eyes. You bow your head a bit and bring your hand nearer to your face. This is a very intimate pose. At this moment, you have let the piece of art enter into a vulnerable personal area. You would never hold anything dangerous this close to your face. This is the way you would hold a butterfly or a small kitten; very gently and close. Miniature art is a gift, a treasure, a secret and special friend.
An illustration from 'Moonlight Memoirs', children's book written by Maggie Mei Lewis and illustrated by Melody Lea Lamb.
Melody’s art can be found at her website, her Gift Shop, on Etsy. eBay, Zazzle, Art Fire and Bonanzle. Catch up with Melody at her blog and on Twitter.
What do you think, participants? Do you also find yourself being captivated by images, or being so lost in the process of creation that you are surprised by the result?
Not Enough Words 
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Thanks for all your nice comments! I actually did not know this had published yet, so finding it on the net by accident was a delightful surprise. Nicely put together Merrilee.
~Melody Lea Lamb
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I love the way you describe getting lost in the process of creating. It’s wonderful when that happens!
Your artwork is lovely. Thank you for sharing it!
I was writing longhand in a bar some months ago, and I was so completely caught up in the story, I just know every time I glanced around the room, I had this wild look in my eyes. I could feel it, but I didn’t care. The story was that strong, that necessary. That doesn’t happen often, but it was awesome. (The waitress looked at me funny more than once.)
Lovely post, good lady. Thank you.
Ooh, I love it. Such fantastic thoughts about the nature of creativity…and also how we think about size. I’ve always said ‘tiny things are cute!’ and for the most part it’s a rule I take for granted. Tiny figurines? Cute. Tiny little Tabasco bottles? Cute! Doll teacups! Sooo cute!
The other side of that is when things are bigger than usual…in all the examples that pop into my mind, such things are horrific, somehow wrong. Giant spiders, f’rinstance. And Tom Thumb and Thumbelina are cute and heroic darlings, whereas giants (typically) were ferocious and horrid. Hrm. Interesting stuff to think about!
Not only a beautifully written post, but your art work is amazing! Thank you very much for the insight. I often lose myself in my writing, only to pull out of it eventually and go, “Wow.” Those are some very incredible moments indeed.
My heart sang as I read Melody’s description of her intimate relationship with the world around her. Today, as I wrote my bio, I reflected on the reasons I’ve been called to write. I noted my passion for nature’s vibrating harmony in everything from the infinitesimally small to the infinitely vast space of our universe. Maybe it is this web of connectivity that calls to the creative spirit.
Very inspiring post Melody. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on creativity. I’m headed outside for a breath of beauty.
I actually feel that way about books, about writing. Images don’t capture me as much but definitely reading does, and sometimes I read something so good that it just makes the creativity explode inside of me and I have to run away and write. The only other thing that can affect me in that way is music (with words) — there is something about words that I truly love.
I loved the description of miniature art as something intimate, something you can hold; it applies to (paper) books as well, I think.