The Unfinished Line

“That line he puts on a canvas to start a painting is never finished,” wrote Donald J. Hagerty when he introduced the world to Phoenix, Arizona-based artist Ed Mell in his 1996 book, Beyond the Visible Terrain. But whether it’s an abstract line full of restless energy, or one of realism, depends on the poetry of the moment. One thing’s for sure. It’s been a while since Mell has painted cartoony illustrations, such as Porky Pig for Life magazine. He’s traded them in for white cactu