Melanie Klinger

Artist's Statement

Creating art has always been with me. As a child, I use to draw with crayons and magic markers. In school I found myself doodling inside my notebook when I should have been taking notes from my teacher. Drawing is my first love, my first passion. It is the first artistic expression I ever engulfed in. Nothing was off limits. I drew everything from colorful Christmas trees during the holidays, sketches of future dream houses, simple landscapes and even sketches of clothing I thought fashionable at the time. My mind has always been at work. Ideas constantly swirl through my head. Capturing them in a drawing or a painting is something magical and addictive. I am addicted to creating and can't imagine my life without artistic expression. My first experience with painting was not with oil, but with watercolor as a child. Even then I knew the transparent color of watercolor was missing something for me. The richness of oil, the depth and texture that I create on a canvas satisfies my need for bold colors and expression. Art has always been a pleasure for me. While I have no formal training, I have a lifetime of experience doing something I love and for the benefit of creating. In Chariots of Fire, Abraham states that he runs because it pleases God. I create art because I truly believe God has blessed me with a gift, and when I paint I experience God's joy. Life is too short and precious to waste the gifts and talents bestowed on you. Seizing everyday, every moment is what I want my life to be. Venturing into the unknown is scary and intimidating. But the thought of pushing back my dream even for a day, even a second, is so unbearable that I feel I have no choice but to seize what has been generously given to me. It is a leap of faith in everyway. But trusting and relying on the knowledge that there is a very specific path for me is comforting during the tough times. Just by starting this website, by following a dream and a passion, I have succeeded. When I look back on this time in my life many years from now, I hope that I can say I wasted no time. That I grabbed all that life presented me and ran with it. That I trusted God and myself to take a leap, knowing that the landing would be safe and I would be protected along the way, even if the protection wasn't always obvious. The world truly is yours for the taking. Dreams do come true. And with wise decisions, careful consideration, and love from family and friends, anything is possible. Nothing is out of reach.

Posted by Melanie on March 27, 2005 at 03:38 AM