Artist Bio

Raised in Calgary, AB, Melanie grew up creative and curious. Her artistic leanings eventually led to her enrollment at ACAD where she studied in the Visual Communications program. Her design skills and manual aptitude landed her in the professional picture framing industry where she incorporates all aspects of her art education. The framing business keeps her connected with artists and the arts community, enhances her own art practice and supports her (outrageous!) addiction to art collecting and framing. Melanie paints regularly in her studio and is a member of a painting society.

 

 

Artist Statement

Before us lie familiar sights, laden with invisible details. The graffiti-ridden dumpster hidden just out of sight, the noise of red, yellow, and green lights polluting a gridlocked road on our way back home; a labyrinth of power lines, criss-crossing over our heads in a back alley. It is here, among passing moments observed through a single point of view, that Urban Vignettes are found.

In appreciating both the sadness and wonder of time’s reclamations, reading our shared history through neglected artefacts and weathered infrastructure, I am reminded of the simple quiet beauty of our homes, and of the important passive role our environments play in the shaping of our lives. In capturing these landscapes at a moment of peace, I hope to engage the audience through comfort and familiarity, stirring flashes of nostalgia. My work depicts both the authentic chaos and fleeting calm of urban life, captured with a quiet intensity.