Much of my recent work is inspired by vintage neon signs. I’m drawn to these signs for a variety of reasons, not least of which is an attraction for the period and the culture they represent. The heyday of neon coincided with an era in our nation’s history when people valued innovation and had a sense of excitement about the future that was expressed in the whimsical design of both signs and architecture, visually representing the collective optimism that we seem to have lost. Though the signs served a functional purpose as eye-catching advertisements for the businesses they adorned, they were also works of art in their own right.

With the “malling of America,” architecture and signage have become increasingly bland, beige, and homogenized. You can visit any city and find the same Starbucks, Wal-Mart, McDonalds and Lowe’s as in your hometown. Neon tube blowing is a specialized skill that is in danger of disappearing, and many once-beautiful signs are relegated to junkyards or simply abandoned where they stand and left in disrepair. By documenting them in my paintings, I hope to draw attention to their beauty and in some small way aid in their preservation. My work is photorealistic, and I enjoy the variety and complexity found in these signs – shiny tubes, rusty metal, reflections, peeling paint and glowing colored light are both a challenge and a joy to paint.

Melissa Earley Axel Forrester Darlene FuhstBeth MarcumDeb Massa Erin MooreJJ Ohlinger Debbie PaganoAnnDouglas Pinckney-McLeod Judy Verhoeven Enid WilliamsPaul Yanko.