Melinda Neger Discusses Nostalgic 'Winter Walk' Cover Art

This week, painter and journalist Melinda Neger returns with her second-ever Dan’s Papers cover, “Winter Walk,” featuring a nostalgic snowy scene. Here, Neger discusses how she learned to paint, how others can learn, and what it’s like to be skilled at writing and painting, and how those things intersect and differ.

A Conversation with Melinda Neger

“Winter Walk” has such a wonderful feeling of nostalgia — it’s like a scene straight out of my childhood in East Hampton! Can you talk about the inspiration for this image? Where and when is it?

Actually, this is a scene from my granddaughter’s childhood. That’s Eleanor, age 2, and her dad on the left. This is from a weekend they spent with friends in Virginia earlier this winter, but it could be anywhere there are snowy woods and fathers and daughters to enjoy them. I paint to preserve magical moments like this that would otherwise be fleeting. And if they remind people of their own special moments, I am absolutely thrilled.

Tell me about your painting technique. What medium is this and what is your process? (Do you paint from life, pictures, your mind?)

I mostly paint landscapes in oil, like this scene, and the gold standard for that is to paint from life outdoors. But man, that’s tough to do in the winter when you’re wearing gloves, the paint has stiffened up and a cold wind is blowing. So I paint in plein air, as it’s called, when I can, and from photos when I can’t, and sometimes a combination of both. Honestly, my favorite way to paint is inside, from a photo with music playing and a glass of wine nearby.

You are also an accomplished journalist. Is it difficult balancing your talents? 

What an interesting question. In some ways, they’re two sides of the same coin: You’re trying to capture the essence of a situation, communicate it to other people and hopefully move them to act or feel. But painting uses the other, more creative side of the brain. I started painting when I was still working full time for The Wall Street Journal and it was a great way to relax after an intense day of writing or editing. Painting gives you much more freedom too. Not every detail has to be accurate. You can paint what you want to see, regardless of what’s actually there.

You say you have no formal training but also credit a number of artists with helping you on your way through workshops. Can you talk about that? What can an aspiring artist gain from these kinds of classes? What did you gain?

There are many different kinds of workshops. A great one can be like a crash course in art school. I started out doing one-day workshops in Central Park where students all painted the same scene, step-by-step, and the instructor swooped in if we started to go wrong. It wasn’t super creative, but it was just what I needed to gain some confidence and want to keep going.

Since then, I’ve taken many plein air workshops around the Hamptons with painters I admire, especially Megan Euell, another Dan’s Papers cover artist. She’s taught me how to scout out a variety of scenes, sketch three or four of them, decide what works best and why, and make that the focus of the painting. And I’ve learned lots of basics and tricks of the trade from online workshops with Robin Cheers, Anne Blair Brown and Mark Saenger. Mark also gives me private critiques on half-finished paintings, which is a wonderfully concentrated way to learn.

But in-person workshops can take you places you might not otherwise go, like a secluded pond or a country farmhouse or a castle in Spain. (I’ve never done that, but I’d love to.) I have done an all-day workshop in the middle of Times Square, which cured me of my shyness. It’s also great to have other artists to talk to and learn from while you’re painting, so you’re not out there all alone.

How has the East End, particularly Sag Harbor, and NYC played a role in shaping you as an artist?

There is something truly dazzling about the light on the East End, as generations of artists have discovered. I constantly strive to get better at capturing it, whether it’s the morning sun on ocean waves or the sunset over Long Beach. Sag Harbor is also full of iconic scenes to paint. There’s the windmill, the wharf, the cinema and The American Hotel — even the whirligigs and boogie boards on the sidewalk. Those Sag Harbor scenes always sell well, since so many other people love them, too.

Where can people see your work online and/or in person?

I have a tent — Melinda Neger Fine Art — at the Sag Harbor Arts & Crafts Fair every June and September. And my paintings are available year-round on my website, MelindaNeger.com. You can also follow me on Instagram @melindanegerart.

Do you have anything to add?

I think a lot of people wonder what it would be like to paint. If that’s you, buy a beginner set of paints and go for it! I think 90% of painting is having the courage to try, then becoming more confident and gradually refining your skills. Even if it’s just for fun, you’ll see the world through new eyes.