February Artist of the Month
Meet Sally Meding
While growing up in Kent, England, just south of London, Sally Meding knew she wanted to be an artist. Her parents however had more practical ideas and persuaded their daughter to get a BS in Biology. Meding went much further and attained a Ph.D in Immunobiology. While studying in Freiburg, Germany she met her husband and they eventually immigrated to the United States. They landed first in the Bay Area of California and welcomed their son into the family. Taking a break from work, the artist and scientist turned to her real passion.
Meding credits many wonderful teachers with whom she has studied over the years: Jane E. Jones, Miles Batt, Nita Leland, Carl Dalio, Betsy Dillard Stroud and Mark Mehaffey. She has always loved watercolor, the medium she chose for its portability, vibrancy and transparency, from the moment she began. She was taught abstraction (design) and later taught herself realism.
After 15 years of learning and painting, this student became the teacher. She describes herself as a colorist first but each piece is defined by design, color, shape or texture as the dominant feature. “I approach art in a scientific manner…abstracts start more spontaneously and I use the elements and principles to achieve unity in each piece.” Using a limited palette also helps her achieve harmony. Meding teaches and respects the rules but explains, “Rules can be broken in art; they are just guidelines.”
As a Signature Member of the New England Watercolor Society, the Rhode Island Watercolor Society and the Southwestern Watercolor Society and an exhibiting member of the WSA, Meding has won numerous awards. She has appeared on HGTV’s “That’s Clever” (2007), has two cover articles in Texas magazines and is published in Nita Leland’s book, “Confident Color” (North Light 2008). Her studio is in Natick, Massachusetts although most of her teaching is now done online.
It is important to Meding that her art sends a message to the viewer. “Each painting must evoke attention from the viewer and then give them different areas of interest to keep them involved and thinking”. Climate change is a recurrent topic in her own work; she uses water droplets and time clocks as symbols of the urgency of this situation. With her students she aims to bring out each individual’s style; she finds out what they are passionate about and which design elements they prefer. Sally says “She finds teaching extremely rewarding and shares all her skills and tips that she has learned on her creative journey”.
You can find her original work and art-cards at Clever hand Gallery in Wellesley, MA.
http/:instagram.com/sallymedingabstract
http/:instagram.com/sallymedingart (realism)