Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine Art Vol 2 no 10 October 2013

VL Show Review
Melissa Doron
The Den-Draw-logy Exhibition
The Next Door Gallery Houston, Texas
Walking into an art opening you normally find a quiet place with stark white walls, spotlights,
hors d’oeuvres and a small wine selection to enjoy while you peruse the art work. A
steady hum of conversation surrounds you as other patrons stop and discuss the merits of
certain paintings.
The Den-draw-logy Exhibition by Melissa Doron at The Next Door Gallery in Houston was
quite the opposite, and a pleasant surprise. Entering the door, you were met with the captivating
sounds of a live band, Berry, Zamorrano and Bell Jazz Trio. Inside this extraordinary
gallery was a full bar open to the patrons attending the opening. There were no small
plates of finger food, instead the opening was catered by “This Is It” soul food. A quick
glance around the room of guests exploring Melissa’s work, it was easy to see this solo
exhibit differed from most. There was a defined theme for the entire body of work and the
collectors were at ease browsing through the twenty plus paintings included in the show.
Melissa Doron shared with the group, “This series came from an idea that a very dear
friend, Laurie Pace, had. She told me I should pick something I am interested in and paint
that subject for 50 days. This is the result....The Den-DRAW-logy Exhibition. Actually, my
husband came up with the title. Dendrology is the study of trees. The spelling was just a
fun play on words.”
Melissa’s amazing body of work contained trees of every species. It was not the normal
brown trunk and green leaves. Melissa’s work captured trees in their very essence of existence,
teeming with color, despite the realization that most were painted without leaves.
Her palette seemed endless as you strolled through the collection. Crimson to indigo, richly
blended and sliced by knife. Wide brush and vibrant hues wove through many pieces.
Every painting in the gallery was of a tree, and yet every painting totally different.
“Irish Storm” seemed to pull you straight into the canvas. You could be standing a cliff in
Ireland watching a storm roll in off the ocean, leaving you reeling with the scent of salt and
rain in the air. “Dancing Euphoria”, an abstract painting with bright colors blending across
the surface into a dance emerging from the canvas into the room.
Melissa Doron’s show runs through September 26th at The Next Door Gallery located at
2020 Waugh Houston, Texas, 77006. Gallery Owner, Mike Bell commented on the exhibit,
“The reason I decided to initially show Melissa Doron’s work is due to the fact she paints
with oils and does a fantastic job at that. Most modern artists I come across deal mostly in
acrylic and pastels. Its refreshing to see someone not afraid of using oils. In 2012 I was introduced
to a piece of hers called “Derby”. It was a beautiful piece of a horse racing in the
Kentucky Derby. It caught the whole excitement and essence of the race itself. This years
show was the intrigue of her concept “50 trees in 50 days”.”
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