Biography
As a child, family stories of the wild west captured the imagination of Melanie Chambers Hartman. And today, painting the rugged American West is her challenge and joy. Through her oil paintings, she seeks to honor the values and traditions of the western lifestyle and the land where she grew up. Hartman lives in Sedona, Arizona where nature invites her out to paint. Her works are a tribute to the dramatic landscapes and western tradition that captivate her, just as they did her ancestors. A fifth generation Arizonan, Hartman feels a kinship to the land and people of the west. Painting the landscape on location as much as possible, Hartman uses the opportunity to study nature’s presentation of light, shadow, color and form. These studies are valuable reference notes for future studio work. Her landscape paintings are inspired by the timeless beauty of the natural world that surrounds her. Her work in landscape grew into a desire to portray those who live, work and play in the west, the ranchers who have built a long tradition of rodeo to celebrate and showcase their skills. Her intent with rodeo work, is to capture motion and emotion with paint and brush using composition, value and color to tell the story.
Education
Oregon State University, Bachelor of Science, General Science
Minor: Technical Journalism
Painting Workshops and Instruction
Scott Christensen, Kevin Macpherson, Quang Ho, David Gallup, Carolyn Anderson, Bill
Cramer
Exhibitions, Awards and Publications
Sedona Monthly Magazine, June 2025, Open Portfolio Feature.
Sedona Open Studios – Artists at Work, 2024 and 2025 Tours, Sedona, AZ
West Valley Art Museum (WVAM), Celebration of Artists 2024 Juried Show 2/12/24 –
4/24/24, Peoria, AZ
Sedona Arts Center, Featured Artist, 7/2023 – 8/2023, Sedona, AZ
Sedona Open Studios – Artists at Work, Spring 2023 Tour, Sedona, AZ
Sedona Arts Center, 2023, 42nd Annual Juried Members Show, 1st Place/Best in
Show, Sedona, AZ
Arizona Plein Air Painters 2023 Salon, Scottsdale Artists’ School, 2nd Place, Juror of
Awards: Douglas Fryer, Scottsdale, AZ
Featured Artist, City of Sedona Galleries, 9/2022 – 1/2023, Sedona, AZ
Sedona Open Studios – Artists at Work, Spring 2022 Tour, Sedona, AZ
Sedona Arts Center Members Juried Show 2022, Sedona, AZ
