craigslist, not just for amateurs anymore

In the sea of craziness that is craigslist, you will see a wide range of characters. We've all heard stories (both horror and amusing) of the experiences you can have when trying to sell things, of people standing you up, or trying to scam you, or when you check the personals or roommate listings, every entry reads "Just looking for someone normal?!". Craigslist is its own little microcosm of the internet world, and so entertaining that two gals, Katie Goan and Nitra Gutierrez, actually crafted a play called Kidnapped by Craigslist.

Well, the artists' section tends to follow the same pattern, with a significant portion of the promotional listings leaving you feeling a little confused as to what you just saw.

Today, however, I was browsing happily along, because I ran across a few awesome artists!

Vegas artist M. Mellon spoke to me on several levels - please be sure to check out his website, as I only have room to post a couple here. I often have the discussion with non-classically trained artists (whether it's visually art, music, anything) about why training is important, and usually the argument is that the untrained artists are worried their pieces would become too polished, and uninspired, just clinical or technical.

Mellon here is someone I admire for being that well-rounded artist. He has managed to master technique, demonstrating a understanding of anatomy and communicating through his figures' posture and gesture. His figures in ink and acrylic are equally matched with his more fluid and abstracted watercolors. He maintains technique and understands his media, while still keeping originality.

Three of my favorites:

"Death's Waiting Room" - I will be directing Sartre's No Exit this summer, and this is exactly how I pictured the room. Saving this one! My next favorite piece also reminded me of a scene I imagined.

Below is "Pleased to Drown," which, with that title, I can only hope to imagine that great minds think alike. I immediatly thought of the final scene of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Having moved apartments several times, I've finally settled down enough to unpack my boxes of books from high school. Getting to revisit some of this literature has been a joy, and even more of a joy to discover these paintings that so closely matched my imagination!

And, "Internal Landscape Six."

An alien seahorse. Clearly.

OK, enough love of Mellon. I also want to take a quick moment to appreciate San Francisco artist Hiroko Sakai. Here are a few teasers showcasing her varied styles, but you'll want to check out here website too. A great example of modern surrealism, with a twist of humor.