I have been familiar with Mel's work my whole life,
and when I look at this artwork and the bright color and metallic paint, it always makes me happy. I have two works from this series. The other is black and white, starker, more foreboding. In this one the chains kind of dance, and as I look at my Christmas tree, it could easily be an image of the garland my children make out of colored pieces of cardboard, linked together.
Perception and perspective and our own experiences inform much of what we know about art. Many people have seen this watercolor and just reacted to it as an object. They like the color, the composition, etc. When I tell them about the genesis of the work, they begin to look at it differently.
This is a Season of expectation in many ways. We know the songs, the rituals, the habits of the Season. But when we are open to changing our perspective and being open to everything, we can also be surprised. Like a child on Christmas morning.
