"The Upper Fields" by Melinda Smith Haymons. Melinda painted this view of the KDS Upper Fields on location. This 8x10 oil on panel painting is framed in a gold leaf frame. 

Energetic and passionate about her love for expression on canvas of the outdoors, Melinda Smith Haymons is a plein air painter (and KDS parent) of great integrity. She’s inspired by color, by the simple but complex act of transposing paint onto the palette, and is fascinated by light and shadow. She finds that drawing surely is the substance of painting and uses her thumbnail sketches as preliminary studies for every painting.

Since 1995, Haymons has managed a series of sell-out studio shows. Haymons was selected by Great Outdoors Colorado Trust to paint the group’s most important legacy projects across Colorado. This collection consists of more than twenty-five paintings, each capturing miles of protected outdoor space. The collection has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine. She has also been selected to capture on canvas one of the largest avocado ranches in California and has completed a series of paintings for The University of Denver’s permanent collection.

Learn more about Melinda Smith Haymons at www.mshstudio.com.