Meet Melinda Smith Haymons

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Smith Haymons.

Melinda, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been exposed to fine paintings and the arts for as long as I can remember. As a young child, I would study and copy paintings to learn how they were created. I always thought I’d be an artist and after studying art at Colorado College I moved to Santa Fe to immerse myself in the art world. I worked in galleries, was an art director and learned the valuable tools of working in the art world both from a business perspective and as an artist. I began painting “en plein air” in Taos and that is when I became hooked on the idea of painting on location. I began traveling with my supplies and art kit, all while learning as much as possible from fellow artists and studying historic painters such as The Taos Ten.

I moved back to Denver and opened my first art studio/gallery and began having shows. My travels have taken me far and wide and I return home to have shows of my recent works. My first show was in 1997 and since then I’ve been blessed with having had many sell-out shows, painting trips, commissions, interviews and articles written about my path as an artist. Some of my commissions range from a series of large scale works of an avocado ranch in Santa Barbara, large studio works created from my studies in Italy, to large modern linear works that I really enjoy creating. Currently, I’m thrilled that I’m able to continue to be a working artist and married mom of three teens. My most recent show was downtown and I had a near sell-out collection of works.

Has it been a smooth road?
I think my road has been such an amazing adventure filled with abundant blessings! Of course, there have been struggles ~ one of the most difficult things I face as an artist is criticism and my constant hope of pleasing all. To this day, I still struggle with a blank canvas and the hardest part of a painting for me is simply starting with that first brushstroke ~ it doesn’t matter if I’m outside working on location or in the studio working on a large work from one of my studies.

One of my favorite quotes is by Steve Jobs: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”

This quote continues to be more relevant to me as I look back at my path. Everything makes sense when I think about my childhood learning about art and the exposure my parents gave me. When I first started painting, my works were modern and abstract. My path of study has led me through many different styles of painting and devoted study of Plein air. Most recently, I have begun to experiment with abstracting some of my landscapes and other works and I now realize this path of connected dots.

Our family is creative and I love it! Alexandra, our daughter is an incredible artist, our son, Reed is a top-notch photographer and our son, Tyler is a talented fly tier (an art form in and of itself.) I feel so lucky that I can work with my family, whether we are on the river flyfishing, hiking together, skiing or traveling, I can take my studio with me and do what I love with the people I love the most. My kids and husband Chris have been incredible inspirations to me and I see aspects of all of them in many of my pieces. They push me out of my comfort zone as an artist and they have encouraged me to take risks at the easel both on location and in the studio. The dots are for sure being connected.

We’d love to hear more about your art.
I think even in this day of incredible technology and tools we have at our fingertips I’m still passionate and committed as an artist to work from life and “shlep my stuff” all over the countryside to work from life. So many times I’ve been asked, “well, why don’t you just take a picture?” I am in awe of the landscape and won’t stop trying to paint it from life onto my canvasses. Even if I’m abstracting my works in the studio from my studies, I won’t stop considering myself a Plein air painter. One of my mentors would often tell me, “if it’s not difficult, you aren’t doing it right!” To me, this is part of my outlook on many things in life ~ from life as an artist to a parent.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely! I’ve had three studios in the Denver area throughout the last 20 years. Denver and surrounding areas are incredible places for painting on location (plein air painting) which is what I do. The Colorado mountains are my go-to and I am passionate about all of the seasons equally. My painting kit is filled with countless compact tools (I’m constantly learning about newer, cooler, even more, compact tools) that have been perfect for travel, so I’m spoiled that I can take my studio with me and return to the Denver area for my shows. I’m a Colorado native and I feel so lucky that I have been able to have a business and raise a family in my native Colorado!

Pricing:

• Small paintings start at $325 (6×8″)
• Larger works (30×40″) and larger are $2750 and up

Contact Info:

• Website: mshstudio.com
• Phone: 3039198439
• Email: haymons@mac.com
• Instagram: melindashaymons

Image Credit:
Amanda Court photography

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.