the happiest color

this piece was in the last issue of “the palette” magazine where christopher schink wrote the following....

"washington state artist, susan melrath creates a warm, quiet image by stylizing her subject into long, flowing shapes filled with subtle, subjective color. she makes no attempt to describe the surrounding space. the geometric background shapes serve only as a contrast to the flowing, curvilinear figures. by gesture, shape and color she conveys her intent. 

we don't know who these people are but we know how they feel. “

when i'm painting, i don't think about the meaning of the color or the meaning of anything, really. i work on a gut level...not in an analytic frame of mind. but when completed, it's always fun to take it apart and find meaning. yellow shines with optimism and happiness, carrying the promise of a positive future. that feels right for this painting, inspired by a photo of my son and me when he was little. 

now you know who those people are!