Tell us, Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Carmen Melton and I am a full time mommy, wifey, and maker
of household chaos and calm. My creative outlet mostly involves
painting, but I also consider the countless trials of unfinished
afghans and half-burned cookies to be a pretty important outlet for my
curiosity, though maybe not as profitable.
Why do you do what you do?
It's what gets me up in the morning and/or keeps me up too late at
night, depending on my mood at the time!
Tell us a little about your background?
I was born and raised in the south, and have stayed in some portion of
the southeast for most of my life except for a brief 3-year stint near
Tacoma, WA while my husband (aka high school sweetheart:) served in
the army.
Who are you most inspired by?
No one particular person (because there are truly too many to count)
but by life itself - plant life, animal life, the life of microscopic
organisms - you name it, if it requires air, water or sunlight to
live, I'm intrigued by it.
What work do you most enjoying doing?
I find that people, as objective studies of light, shadow and color
are certainly some of the most beautiful subjects to paint, but few
adults actually want to see themselves on canvas. So along with the
earthly matter I paint children’s portraits.
What themes do you pursue?
The themes in my work evolve around living organisms, in one form or
another, as abstracts and representational pieces. I also have a
series of "Bean People" that have made several appearances in my work
since high school. There are plans for a deeper investigation of
these characters as my life unfolds.
Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
It was with the pregnancy of my second child, which occurred while
living on the west coast. I had recently quit working to be with my
firstborn full time. Spring was just upon us and not only was
everything around me awakening from under the thawing ground, but the
life inside of me was blossoming as well. If you haven't been through
a Washington winter, you don't understand the joy of being literally
blinded by the sun after nine solid months of dark, gray drizzle. So
to say I was filled with inspiration is an understatement. I admit to
being one of those crazy people who find the process of pregnancy and
birth to be incredible beyond words, and I just so happened to be
living in one of the most beautiful parts of the country at the time.
It was a most joyous season.
What song/songs/music genres inspire you?
I enjoy music that has something original to offer. New ideas, or even
old as dirt ideas presented in new and creative ways are what I enjoy
listening to, it doesn't so much matter the genre although many
classic and contemporary piano composers generally find a regular spot
on my play list. I played the piano for a lengthy stretch of
childhood, so it's a language I can identify with.
What do you dislike about your work?
There are definitely aspects of my work I wish were different; it
seems to have an almost schizophrenic lack of focus, but at the same
time I can't imagine working on the same theme, subject, style or
medium over and over just to attain some recognizable style in they
eyes of someone else.
What do you like about your work?
I enjoy finding movement in a composition, and creating fluid lines
with vibrant colors.
Name something you love, and why.
In addition to my family of course, the other big love in my life
revolves around food. I love all aspects of food - real food that is,
not the pre-packaged preservative laden kind - from growing to
cooking, eating, preserving, and composting it to make more of it. I
think the life cycle of food is a fascinating, ever important topic of
health and quality of life that affects the lives of everyone on the
planet.
What is your dream project?
I feel like our current system of mass consumption, from fast food to
cheaply made gadgets is going to really hurt our quality of life in
future generations if something doesn’t change. I would love to use
my art as a tool to raise more awareness about the importance of
healthy food choices and conservation habits, focusing on the positive
side of family-centered, time honored practices of basic sustainable
farming. In some ways, I think I’m on the right track, but my endless
imagination and lack the clarity for pulling it all together is
currently a big obstacle.
Favorite or most inspirational place?
No surprise that my all-time most favorite (and needless to say
influential) place is my grandparents' orchard in Ohio. I used to go
there every summer as a kid for weeks. My days would consist of riding
bikes with cousins through rolling hills of apple, peach, plum and
cherry trees. We'd break for a fresh-picked lunch and then head past
grape vineyards and enormous gardens of every vegetable imaginable,
down to the pond, teaming with tadpoles and catfish (some of which
became dinner!) It was a total life-sustaining paradise. I had a blast
but didn't appreciate it so much then as I do now, now that that kind
of life has all but dwindled away for most families in place of the
"conveniences" of our technologically advanced lives.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Oddly, the best advice came from my own inner voice reacting against
some pretty bad advice to conform to certain social expectations. It
took some years, but I've finally learned to trust my instincts -
turns out they've always been on the winning side.
Professionally, what’s your goal?
One day I hope that all my experiences and hard-earned lessons will
culminate into the kind of work that speaks more clearly to others; to
bring my love of life, food, and preservation of healthy traditions
together in some quirky painted form, in a way that makes sense and
can inspire others to also tread as lightly as possible through our
amazing world.
XOXOXO- Trashy Betty
-Special Thanks to CARMEN MELTON for sharing with us -
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