Iconic Inland Northwest painter Mel McCuddin returns to The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene for a show that will run from Sept. 9 through Oct. 8.

An opening reception is scheduled for Sept. 9 from 5-8 p.m. during ArtWalk, a downtown stroll held every second Friday of the month from April through December.

Art Spirit, 415 Sherman Ave., regularly schedules exhibition openings in conjunction with ArtWalk nights.

An artist demonstration with McCuddin will take place at the gallery Saturday, Sept. 10 from 1-4 p.m.

McCuddin, 83, has a long history with The Art Spirit Gallery. His colorful and creatively-titled work has graced the walls since the gallery opened its doors in 1997. The demand for his work has led him to become the third highest grossing artist the gallery has ever represented, following closely behind Harold Balazs and George Carlson.

Well-known for his unconventional subjects that are strangely realistic yet abstract, McCuddin’s exhibits feature paintings from floor-to-ceiling, covering the 16-foot walls of the gallery.

“Oftentimes, people will observe Mel’s work and ask, ‘What is going on in his head?’” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “They might not expect this work to come from a quiet, shy, always-smiling former truck driver for Early Dawn Dairy. The depth of intrigue that Mel’s work inspires is exciting to watch unfold.”

Interested in the human experience because of its endless amount of material, McCuddin’s creative process is unique. Each painting begins the same way: smearing paint randomly onto a canvas using rags, a thick brush, and his fingers. Once it is dry, the artist pulls up a chair in the quiet solitude of his studio, waiting for an image to emerge in a process he calls ‘a record of the evolution of an idea.’ He turns the canvas, often a number of times.

“I wait and see what the painting suggests. And when I first find the image, that’s the exciting part,” McCuddin said.

For this exhibition, Art Spirit Gallery’s walls will be filled with 41 new works by the artist, many of them large in scale, combined with select pieces from previous shows.