Artist Spotlight: Melanie Hulse
Melanie Hulse, Kennings, pencil on watercolor paper; closed: 4" x 4 " x 1", open: 4" x 56".
After a long career in publishing, New York-based artist Melanie Hulse has turned from words to images. In her artwork, she tries to find the simplest, purest way to express something — to suggest as much as possible with as little as possible. She is deeply interested in the enigma of beauty and in the evidence trail left by numinous and scientific explorations of the world.
Melanie holds a Certificate in Fine Art from the National Academy Museum and School, an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, and a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from Fordham University. Her art was featured in Art Quilting Studio magazine and has been exhibited nationally. We are delighted to spotlight Melanie's work. She is a familiar and wonderful soul around the studio at our factory in Kingston, NY.
Melanie, how are you staying creative during COVID 19?
When I moved upstate from the Bronx, I bought a tear-down property and built a completely new house. I was able to move in again just as the lockdown started in March. I’ve always been more or less solitary, so I wasn’t shocked by the rigors of isolation. I understand how challenging it was and continues to be for many people, but I am oddly grateful for it because it has let me focus on getting settled.
Melanie Hulse, The Effects of Gravity on Light.010, Encaustic on printmaking paper, 11" x 17".
Everything I own has been in and out of storage twice and that curation process, though stressful, has been valuable. I have a much stronger sense of my particular voice and vision. I had little-to-no art voice until I stumbled across encaustic. I moved to Ulster County in order to be close enough to R&F to take classes. And, as you know, prior to lockdown I practically moved into your studio/classroom while the construction was underway. That generosity – the classes; allowing studio renters to have access to the full line of products, equipment, and tools; and the input from the teachers and staff was, and is, very empowering.
What projects are you currently working on?
For a while, I was working on remembering how to work, but I’ve gotten my feet under me again in the past month or so. I have two primary avenues that I’m exploring. I’ve always been intrigued by cave paintings, Australian Aboriginal art, and Kuba textiles. Recently, I’ve also been looking at asemic writing. I have several sketchbooks filled with invented symbols that have been moving into paintings. Being able to carve and scrape the wax and R&F’s array of richly complex earth colors gives me the patina of “artifact” with great efficiency.
At the other end of the spectrum, I’m also fascinated by the intersection of science and spirituality, the way these seemingly opposed disciplines are mutually based in wonder. I started doing monotypes after a class with Laura Moriarty. The Effects of Gravity on Light series relies on the depth and luminosity of the transparent and translucent colors. At first glance, people mistake them for watercolor.