iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 8h

This is the bucolic scene at the top of our road. Farmer Buck has the sweetest flock.

A herd of mostly white goats grazes in a sunlit meadow of autumn grasses and wildflowers in Taos, New Mexico. A large silver-green tree anchors the scene, with golden cottonwoods, rustic fences, and a brilliant blue sky filled with soft clouds in the background.

M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Every time I sprout a batch, I always think of my friend Steve Lebow from Eugene, Oregon, who started Sprout City, a micro greens business way back in the late 1970s. I'm doing this because I am paranoid about e coli, so I do what I gotta do. And they are delicious.

Broccoli sprouts on a spouting mat in the beginning of the micro greens sprouting process.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Ulie at the backyard bird feeder matinee.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Just prior to feeding time. The Yeasty Beast is developing good structure finally. Can't wait for my next try. #sourdoughbread #sourdoughbaking #sourdoughforbeginners #sourdoughtips #sourdough

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Son of Dave on his rounds. This guy made several approaches through the night. I sprayed the bin again last night at dusk and I notice there were approaches but no attempts to dump it. They came by, took a whiff or two and moved along. So far so good.

night-vision camera shot of a raccoon near a Waste Management trash bin on a country road.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I have a trick for remembering that one ...

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I know! I was really surprised! Compared to my sorry first loaf! Learned so much. Going to pick up new proofing baskets and other paraphernalia today!

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

and my husband really really like it! He's picky about his bread.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

These latillas are probably about 30 years old and can last maybe another 8 years if I can keep them off the ground. After a couple of years of trying, I am finally enclosing my little garden.

Alt: Close-up view along a rustic coyote fence made of uneven, weathered gray wooden poles, or latillas, bound with wire, with sunlight and shadows falling across the rough wood. Gravel, patches of green grass, blue sky, and autumn foliage are visible beyond the fence.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The first loaf I've made with the Yeasty Beast Beth came out pretty good. The loaf lost shape so I turned it into a plain focaccia. The taste is really good (probably because of the whey I added) and the crust chewy. I learned so much this time around, I can't wait for the next loaf. #sourdough

Close-up of a freshly baked sourdough focaccia loaf with a deeply browned, seasoned crust. A cut slice reveals a light, airy interior with large, irregular holes and a crisp golden edge.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

To quote Frank Morgan, “It’s a beautiful day to be alive, baby.”

A black cat on a person in bed with an open window and a gorgeous sunrise unfolding.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Loaf day has finally arrived. The Yeasty Beast Slouching Toward Bethlehem (Beth, for short) is ready to prove her stuff. I just fed her and am now waiting for her to double.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Rice meal milled in an old Krups coffee grinder, made for a gluten-free barrier for my sourdough loaves. Today is loaf day because my starter is finally ready.

a plastic food storage container, lid off, showing rice meal.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This particular ring cam is called "raccoon theatre." the other one is simple "front door."

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Four fat raccoons mob my trash bin while I work just feet away. I guess the motion light has stopped being a deterant after only 24 hours.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

$90? LOL. I don't like to leave the house for less than $100. You're a little short, asshole.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I made cheese today! Second time trying, this time with citric acid instead of rennet. Much better.

A ball of queso fresco in a nest of cheese cloth

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

“Your CHEWY box has arrived.”

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

And just like that, it's October. "The Road to Autumn," oil on panel by Melwell, 6x6 – Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Colorful 6-by-6-inch landscape painting of a winding pale road through golden autumn fields toward blue and purple mountains. Brilliant orange and red trees punctuate the scene beneath large, rolling white clouds in a vivid blue sky.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Raccoons set off motion lights all night upending our dumpster, but look at what I saw when I went out to clean it up.

Rose red and orange sunrise with silhouetted foothills

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I found a fudge recipe that doesn't have too much sugar. It's smooth and fantastic. One variation has coffee, another orange peel, and there's more. Eeee. So good. My plan for Christmas gifts this year.

Cut pieces of chilled, dark, velvety fudge in a plastic bag on a colorful Mexican-style tablecloth.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

"Aspen Wind," oil on panel by Melwell, 20x16 – Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200.

Alt text: Colorful expressionist landscape painting of three slender white aspens rising through a glowing autumn field of gold, rust, ochre, and violet. Small yellow leaves scatter among the pale branches, while a broad purple mountainside or forest fills the background beneath a narrow band of distant blue-gray. Short, rhythmic brushstrokes create a shimmering, mosaic-like texture throughout the scene.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Yesterday, I made enchiladas with scratch corn tortillas. Definitely worth the extra effort.

A tortilla warmer filled with homemade yellow corn tortillas.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"Aspen Ridge," oil on panel by Melwell, 20x16 - Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Expressive oil painting of a sunlit aspen-covered mountainside, built from loose, blocky strokes of brilliant yellow, gold, ochre, pale blue, and muted green. Dark evergreen trees punctuate the layered slopes, while a broad, swirling blue sky fills the upper left.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"A Walk to the Edge," oil on canvas by Melwell, 11x14 - Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Colorful painting of a sunlit aspen grove, with slender white-blue trunks and branching limbs rising across the composition. A warm autumn forest floor glows in layered patches of orange, coral, pink, and red, backed by dark green hills. A pale golden-yellow sky fills the upper background, with a large stylized sun glowing near the upper right.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Delivery," oil on canvas by Melwell, 36x48 – Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Colorful painting of a snow-covered adobe village beneath blue mountains and a cloud-filled sky. A horse pulls a two-wheeled cart carrying two bundled figures along a muddy, rutted road between pale adobe buildings and a dark shadowed structure.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"Roadman," oil on panel by Melwell, 6x4 - Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Small vertical painting of a dark, solitary figure standing on a pale path between broad geometric fields of yellow-green and cream. The simplified landscape rises toward rolling green hills beneath a turquoise-blue sky with thick white clouds. Bold dark outlines divide the flattened shapes, and visible brushwork gives the scene a textured, rhythmic quality.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Cussing as I remove layers of sticky paint. Layers of awful color on solid wood! Who did this ?? Turns out it was me.

A worktable set up outside for stripping paint off wood, with cans of stripper, acetone, yellow "Dexter's Lab"-style yellow rubber gloves and a scraper. There is also a beautiful mountain in the distance.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Just looked up "tinga tinga paintings from Tanzania" and WOW! More inspiration!

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

When she gives me a “yessss,” I glow for days!

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

An unpopular mind-set, but when I see artist demos and the person has an aggressive manicure and fake nails (you know what I mean. They can't open shit + it's the only thing you can look at), I figure they're not much of an artist. I also think of bacteria. Don't get me started about food demos.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I am starting to work on my holiday miniatures. "Gathering Pollen," oil on panel by Melwell, 6x4 - Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

A small, colorful folk-style painting of a woman gathering bright yellow corn pollen in a field of tall corn. She wears a white blouse, purple skirt, and red sash, holding a yellow container as she moves among dark, curving stalks. Green hills and a layered blue-and-white sky rise behind her, while strong shadows stretch across the warm ochre earth.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Why, everyone is asking? Because of what it symbolizes - the last shred of our exceptionalism. That’s why the big presentation boards, so we could see. And be crushed by it. #kennedycenter

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"The Storm Swept Through," oil on panel by Melwell, 12x12 – Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Expressionistic landscape painting of rolling green fields divided by dark, curving lines and a winding red dirt road. Massive blue, violet, and white storm clouds sweep dramatically across the sky, dwarfing the distant trees and emphasizing the movement of the passing storm.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Whether it's 3 a.m. or 6 a.m., the house is dark and quiet and who is rattling around the house? Me and a mysterious resident I see out of the corner of my eye, just outside my studio door. Again and again.

Hand-drawn black-and-white cartoon titled “Ghost Inquiries.” A smiling ghost peeks around the edge of a dark, diagonally hatched doorway or panel and asks in a speech bubble, “Whatcha working on?”

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

"Our Lady of the Mountains," oil on canvas by Melwell, 24x24 - Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Expressive landscape painting of a small adobe church with twin bell towers nestled among dark trees and rolling mountains. A broad salmon-colored roof fills the foreground, framed by tall tree trunks and deep green foliage. Loose, textured brushwork builds a luminous blue sky filled with white clouds drifting across the distant mountains.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"And there’s the useful joke hidden inside your metaphor: if you find intelligence, sweetness, curiosity, irreverence, and warmth in these conversations, at least some of what you're enjoying is your own way of thinking being handed back to you in an unfamiliar form." love, ChatGPT

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"Garcia Park," oil on canvas by Melwell 16x10 - Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Expressionistic landscape painting of Garcia Park in autumn, with slender aspen trunks rising through masses of golden foliage. Dark vertical pines form a band across the middle ground, while layered green and rust-colored hills lead to large white mountain forms beneath a vivid, textured blue sky.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

“Laugh while you can, monkey boy.”

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

September Sunrise, Lower Ranchitos, New Mexico

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

"Hollyhock Stalk," oil on panel by Melwell, 6x6 - Call Parsons Gallery of the West at +1-575-737-9200

Vibrant close-up painting of bright magenta-pink hollyhock blossoms against dense, loosely painted green foliage. Bold dark outlines and lively pink highlights define the petals, with a small yellow flower center peeking from the central bloom.

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M. Elwell Romancito @melwell.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I have no intention whatsoever of opening a restaurant, so naturally I made a menu. Welcome to Cafe Mel. Hours are erratic. Management is temperamental and may nap at any time. The food is pretty good.

a joke menu in an acetate sleeve called Cafe Me with a list of dishes, including one for lunch called "Quiche Me You Fool!"

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