Market Street Gallery presents Artist John F. Melvin November 20, 2009

Market Street Gallery will be hosting an artist reception for artist John F. Melvin, a San Francisco painter who works in the impressionistic style.

Melvin's newest series of 15 large-scale portraits came about because of his love of painting women. To Melvin, their grace, form and beauty coupled with their feminine personalities create an inspiring subject for the artist.

The young mothers in this series are all well educated and outspoken. Most have careers yet they remain focused on their children. Each has an interesting story, some that are sad but all inspiring.

To develop each piece, Melvin begins with a photograph and an interview of the sitter, creates a sketch and then proceeds to the painting. Using loose brush work and a palette knife, he develops a portrait with many abstract features. Some of these are quite representational while others, following in the footsteps of Matisse and Soutine, employ facial distortion for emotional effect.

The visual impact of seeing all the works exhibited together is particularly enjoyable as each portrait has its own personality yet is influenced by all of the others nearby.

Currently, Melvin serves as the chairman of the board of Artspan, a non-profit organization supporting
the visual arts in San Francisco, and has worked previously as an investment banker.

Market Street Gallery exhibits work of established and emerging artists of the San Francisco Bay Area. Exhibitions include all categories of work, including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, fashion, street art, installation art and film and video media.

Official Website: http://www.marketstreetgallery.com