Mel McCuddin
Mel McCuddin
Six decades ago, in pursuit of a hobby, McCuddin picked up a paintbrush and extra house paint gifted to him by a friend and began his journey as a practicing artist. For the first forty years, he worked as a truck driver for Early Dawn Dairy to support his family and with his wife’s encouragement would retreat to his studio each evening to explore and perfect his craft. Without pressure to please buyers, he reveled in the freedom to develop his personal uninhibited style, using texture and unusual color combinations to his advantage. Those familiar with McCuddin’s work are well aware of his exceptionally unconventional animal and human subjects. According to the artist, most relate to politics, human actions, and relationships. “In general, my subjects are inspired by human experience, both good and bad, as it offers an endless source of material.” At a youthful 84, McCuddin continues to paint subject matter that both delights and intrigues viewers. Active in the regional art scene since the 1960’s, the established artist has continued to show high-value work at The Art Spirit Gallery since 1997, the year the doors first opened. Although McCuddin’s work has evolved over the years, the artist has remained faithful to his approach. Without a predetermined subject in mind, he lines up freshly stretched canvases and spontaneously applies paint with a thick brush, rag, palette knife, or fingers, completely covering each canvas. Decisions regarding color, light, and space are largely intuitive. “I’m just flying by the seat of my pants,” admits the artist. Later, once this random underpainting is dry, McCuddin sits in the quiet solitude of his studio to observe, waiting for an image to emerge. Perhaps a shape will suggest a mug of coffee as seen in “Cup of Joe,” or a pattern of light areas might inspire a broken pot as seen in “Oops.” Each piece starts with something exciting, a unique idea develops, and the narrative begins. After sixty years of painting what brings this artist joy? Knowing he contributes one-of-a-kind thought-provoking art to the world keeps him returning to his studio day after day.
The Art Spirit Gallery is thrilled to showcase over forty new works by well-loved figurative oil painter Mel McCuddin of Millwood, Washington.
Opening Reception: October 13 from 5-8pm in conjunction with ArtWalk sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Arts and Culture Alliance.
Artist Demonstration: October 14 from 11am – 1pm at The Art Spirit Gallery.
Show Sponsor: Fine Brewed. We thank them for their support of the arts in our community.
Fall Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9 - 6
About the Artist
French poet Charles Baudelaire once observed that the “beautiful is always bizarre.” The legion of Mel McCuddin fans couldn’t have said it any better.
The growing popularity of the 85-year-old artist from tiny Millwood, Washington comes from his instantly recognizable “figurative expressionist” oil paintings that depict offbeat scenes in distinctive muted bruised hues.
In the World of McCuddin…
A tiny cowpoke rides a huge hog like a rodeo bull. A large blue woman bathers in a birdbath. Dogs and farm animals gaze from the canvas through human eyes. McCuddin’s playful and comic expressions showcase the human condition in all of its relatable farce and folly.
“There is a special buzz about Mel,” said Blair Williams, the owner of The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where McCuddin’s latest creations will be on exhibit from Oct. 13 through Nov. 4. Prolific despite his years, over 40 new “McCuddins” (an endearing term many of his fans use) will be on display. McCuddin found a warm home at The Art Spirit Gallery beginning in 1997, when the gallery first opened its doors and began to regularly show his paintings. “People from around the country make a pilgrimage here to view and purchase his paintings,” Williams continued. “Mel’s unique loose style and engaging compositions draw people in. They are crazy about his work.”
In contrast, the soft-spoken former dairy deliveryman harbors not a whisper of the weirdness seen on his canvases. Some “do think of my art as being a bit dark,” McCuddin conceded, “but I’m not that way at all. It comes from the paint.” A McCuddin is never premeditated. Rather, the subject matter emerges slowly through a process of applying coats of paint in a variety of colors with brushes, cloths, and even hands. McCuddin would use his feet if he thought it would advance the artistic outcome. “I begin a painting with no idea in mind, and at a certain point in the process of putting paint on the canvas, and idea will suggest itself,” he once explained. “Many of these ideas change and many are rejected until one seems strong enough to accept. My paintings, then, are essentially a record of the evolution of an idea.”
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