Salt Lake City artist Melissa Peck will have a solo show at Bonner David Galleries beginning April 28 through May 14. Across 14 new paintings, Peck will grace the public with her lighthearted, whimsical scenes of female figures. Bonner David owner Clark Olson explains, “Peck’s unusual characters, often based on her experiences as a mother, charm viewers with their bright colors, fanciful detail and vintage frames.”
Peck notes that there are multiple elements adding to the freshness of this new collection. “For one,” she says, “I am using more paint than I have in the past, adding texture with palette knives and building up the paint with my brushes. [In addition], I have found inspiration for multiple paintings by studying vintage Vogue and Vanity Fair covers from the 1920s—an era I’m drawn to as I have many photos of my own grandmother in amazing dresses from that same time. Not only did I take inspiration from the compositions but from the bold color combinations.”
One can see both the bold use of color and the vintage magazine cover inspiration in pieces like Marigold, depicting five women posing as if in front of a camera, all dressed in shades of orange, yellow and light green, and placed against a deep orange background. Peck is known for using monochromatic color combinations such as this, but used for a striking effect. “I decided to keep the color palette simple for a stronger visual impact,” Peck says. The artist mentions that butterflies, a common theme throughout her work, were also an inspiration for the piece.
Peck also draws our attention to some new colors not previously seen in her paintings, such as deep greens. She also accomplished marvelous blue studies in pieces Franki, featuring a woman with an elongated neck with a stuffed animal in the pocket of her green dress, set against a blue and green decorated background; and Blue Chair, showing a woman seated in a glamours chair. “There is something ethereal about my blue paintings that draws me to creating them,” says Peck. “The stuffed vintage skunk is part of my own collection. I also love reupholstering vintage chairs like the one in Blue Chair.”
Also important to Peck’s work is the representation of women. “I try to reflect the beauty I see embodied in the women in my life,” she says. “I feel like over time, my women and their features have become softer. I believe there is a strong feminine presence to each of my paintings trying to embody the beauty and softness I see reflected in the women in my life, especially my two daughters who are now beautiful young women. If you look [closely], you will see the lines and features of their faces in the women I paint.”
Besides women, Peck often relies on items all around her to inspire and excite her paintings. “In my studio you will find a variety of fabrics, butterflies, vintage packaging, stuffed animals [and more]; elements of which can be found in my work, as well as vintage circus photographs, and as I mentioned before, vintage Vogue and Vanity Fair covers. I find inspiration all around.”
One area where she continuously finds inspiration is in her chosen medium of oil, as well as her process. “After almost 20 years of painting with oil,” she explains, “I’ve learned so much about the medium—often by accident. The paint itself is so beautiful! The last couple of years I have added Vasari oil paints to my collection, and you can see the difference in my work. I paint on panel which allows me to draw out my paintings first—something I’ve always enjoyed. Additionally, sketching is a way for me to add extra detail to my artwork. My use of texture has also developed as I’ve recently acquired patience that I didn’t have before to layer the paint over time.” In her show piece Nabi, inspired by the morpho catenaria butterfly, one can see the beautifully textured background.
“I hope my collectors are as excited about this new work as I am,” Peck excitedly states. “The experience of life is truly bittersweet. I am so grateful for my collectors who give me the opportunity to make a living painting. I believe it is the silver lining of my life that I find so much peace and respite in painting and am able to sell what I create. It has helped me process the losses, deal with life’s pain, and see the incredible beauty and tender mercies all around me.”
