Finding Inspiration in the Local Landscape, Meet Local Artist, Mel Bashore
- K. Devlin
- Apr 28, 2019
- 4 min read
Local Artist, Mel Bashore decided to focus on her art full-time after a little inspiration from Mother Nature, creating abstract pieces influenced by the beauty of St. Augustine’s beaches and local landscapes.
Were you always an artist and did you go to school for art?
Yes, although I did think about other career paths, art always kept coming up. I knew art was the direction I needed to go, so I graduated with a degree in Studio Art from the University of Pittsburgh. My major allowed me to choose my path and at the time Graphic Design was growing, so a lot of my design courses were hands-on, from cutting pieces of paper into shapes to learning the computer processes.
I was lucky in some ways to have such a broad degree because I didn’t necessarily want to focus on one particular thing at the time. I didn’t know what I wanted to do; I just wanted to take it all in. There are some mediums I tried that I know I do not wish to go back to such as; sculpture or building an art installation but it was a good experience, and since I learned how to manipulate a space, I was able to utilize that knowledge later when I did work as an Interior Designer. It’s been a benefit since I have been able to take elements from all my courses and incorporate them into my work through the years and even my art today.
What brought you to St. Augustine?
My husband and I moved to St. Augustine in 2006 for his job. When I arrived here, I worked in Graphic and Interior Design. I worked for a small design firm in Jacksonville where we would visit people’s spaces, take inventory of what they needed and try to solve their design dilemma’s. I found that I enjoyed the hands-on parts of the job, such as drawing the room and textures to add something special to the presentation. I still enjoy helping people with interior design issues because I like a home to have an individual feel and enjoy creating a comfortable space for someone that reflects who they are.
When did you start doing your art full-time?
After having my children who are now three and five years old, I took time off, but when it was time to get back to work, which was around the same time as Hurricane Matthew, I wasn’t feeling Interior and Graphic Design anymore. Something about that hurricane and the water made me want to start using watercolors, so I decided that it was an excellent time to focus mainly on my painting. Having to evacuate from the hurricanes affected me as a person, and I think you can see that in my art.
What inspires you to paint?
Generally, our location and proximity to the water, I feel inspired by our town and the beaches, and I am most at peace when I’m out in nature. I use some of the colors I see locally and pull from the idea of the topography but abstract it in my style.
Do any artists inspire you?
Recently, I’ve been moving through different things that inspire me. Back in college, I worked for an art museum so I would always seek jobs in the art department so I can look at the Classics, the Masters, and especially the Impressionists. I like how you can see part of the artist when you look at how they use their brush strokes. I appreciate and love looking at realistic and traditional things, but it doesn’t inspire me. I would say I started there, but lately, especially with social media, it’s like a big amalgamation of all art that I am taking in. I follow artists that I feel are putting out something good.
How are you getting into galleries?
When I made a move into doing this full-time, I waited to approach galleries until I had enough of a body of work. Networking isn’t easy for me, but it was more comfortable with interior design since it was about the client, not me. Networking about my art is a vulnerable and challenging thing, so needless to say I was nervous. I interviewed with P.A.S.T.A. Gallery, my work was juried, and I’ve been here about a year now. This gallery is a co-op; it’s collaborative which is nice because I get a chance to speak with other artists, bounce ideas, and ask questions.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
I’m a bit of an introvert, so speaking to a lot of people is not the easiest thing for me. If I could, I would spend the day in my studio, then get my kids from school and play with them outside for the rest of the day. I’m thankful to be speaking to you about this now, it helps to put myself out there and helps me to become more comfortable talking about my work.
What are your goals for yourself?
First and foremost especially at this stage in my life is to have the right balance between my art and my family. I am working gradually to build up relationships and hope to show my art in other galleries that would be a good fit for me.
What events are coming up for you?
I’ll be the Featured Artist for May at P.A.S.T.A Gallery. There will be a reception at First Friday Art Walk on May 3rd. It’s a chance for the public to come in, view art, and an opportunity for me to speak to people about my work, so I’m looking forward to that.
Follow Mel Bashore on Instagram
See more of her work on her Website
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