Mellissa was born in England in the 1960s and as a child emigrated to Australia with her family. She has studied & practiced printmaking and painting continuously since the mid ‘90s and is a recipient of many prizes and awards. Her sought after works are part of many private and public collections around the world.
Living in rural Sydney overlooking the Hawkesbury River, Mellissa’s work ranges between vibrant interpretations of her local landscape to intricate wood & linocuts. Her combination of quirkiness and calm blend to create works with a strong spiritual base. Mellissa is an Associate of the Royal Art Society NSW.
"It is easy to be captivated by the powerful immediacy and extraordinary colour emerging from Mellissa’s paintings on a purely aesthetic level. They are visually spectacular and invite the viewer to search for further harmony and empathy with the natural landscape. She brings the natural landscape and birds of Australia to life with her original, spontaneous and vibrant paintings." Robyn Williams, Purple Noon Gallery NSW
Exhibitions
2018
"Whimsy" Rochfort Gallery
"Polychromy" Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, Windsor NSW
Solo Show "Set in Place" Purple Noon Gallery
"Petals & Pods, Rochvort Gallery
"Land & Sea", Rochfort Gallery
2017
"Duet Dolce II" Breathing Colours Gallery, Balmain
"also a Printmaker" Breathing Colours Gallery, Balmain
"Verdance' 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace, Gold Coast QLD
2016
“Duet Dolce” Depot Gallery, Sydney
Finalist Flanagan
Finalist Corangamarah
Finalist Lethbridge 10000
Finalist, Fleurieu Food & Wine Art Prize, SA
“Kaleidoscope” Solo show, Purple Noon Gallery, Freemans Reach
2015
Finalist Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour
Finalist Fishers Ghost Art Award
“The Kangaroos Visit”, Rome, Italy
“From The Knife’s Edge” Sassafras Creek Gallery, Kurrajong
“Mergence” Gaffa Gallery, Sydney
Solo Show “Birdsong” Breathing Colours, Balmain
Invited artist, Hawkesbury Art Fair, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
2014
Finalist, Paddington Art Prize
Solo Show “Springsong” Breathing Colours, Balmain
Solo Show “Open Garden” Purple Noon Gallery, Freemans Reach
Finalist Lethbridge 10000
Finalist Stanthorpe Art Prize
2013
Finalist Blacktown Art Prize
Finalist Hawkesbury Art Prize
Finalist Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour
"Sanctuary" Solo Exhibition, 19 Karen Contemp Artspace, Gold Coast
Finalist Northbridge Art Prize
Finalist, Flanagan Art Prize
"Treesong" Solo Exhibition, Breathing Colours Gallery, Balmain
"Under a Grand" Rex Livingston Gallery
2012
1st Prize Pirtek Still Life Award, Bowral
Finalist Kogarah Art Prize (Packers Room Prize)
Finalist Mount Eyre Art Prize, Norvill Art Prize
1st Prize Camden Art Prize, 3rd Prize Royal Easter Show, 1st Prize Port Stephens
Art Expo Sydney
"Under a Grand" Rex Livingston Gallery
Finalist, Northbridge Art Prize
"InsideOut" 3 artist show, Balmain
International Art Show, Creative Gallery, Oakland CA USA
Art Melbourne
Group “Equine”, Purple Noon Gallery, Freemans Reach
Camberwell Art Show
2011
Finalist, Hawkesbury Art Prize
Festival of Fishers Ghost, Campbelltown Arts Centre
Finalist, Hornsby Art Prize
Northbridge Art Prize (Highly Commended)
Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize
Finalist Eutick Memorial Still Life Awards, Coffs Harbour
Solo - "Arboressence" Purple Noon Gallery, Freemans Reach NSW
Art Melbourne 2011
Finalist Prometheus Visual Art Award
Camberwell Art Show
Group – “Triptych” Washhouse Gallery Rozelle
Elemental Matters: Artists Imagine Chemistry Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, PA
2010
Solo - "Looking for the Forest" Washhouse Gallery Rozelle
Camberwell Art Show
Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize
Finalist, Norvill Art Prize
Northbridge Art Prize
Finalist, Redland Art Awards
Centro Cultural Arquitectura of the School of Arquitecture of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Léon México
2009
Festival of Fishers Ghost, Campbelltown Arts Centre
Grabados Por La Paz 2009 (Prints for Peace) Monterrey, Mexico
Compact Prints -KickArts Contemporary Arts Gallery, Cairns
“A Dog of a Show” Megalo Printmakers, ACT
Camberwell Art Show
“Wax, Paint & Print” Ferry Artists Gallery, Wisemans Ferry
Compact Prints – Studio Paradiso, Sandon VIC
International Printmaking Collective 2009 org by Arte/Desarrollo Humano in Monterrey NL México
2008
Canterbury Tales, Harper Community College, Palatine, Illinois,USA
Festival of Fishers Ghost, Campbelltown Arts Centre
Umbrella Studio, Townsville “Compact Prints”
Hawkesbury Printmakers, Windsor NSW
Solo “Allegory & Observation” St.Albans Gallery
Camberwell Art Show
2007
Dedalo Gallery Italy
Cancer Council Victoria Touring Exhibition
Int. Mail Art Exhib. The Arts Council of Greater New Haven Small Space Gallery USA
Christian Art Award Finalist, Redeemer Lutheran College, Rochedale, QLD
Solo Exhibition Gallery Café, Surry Hills Sydney
EMSLA Finalist Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
2006
Boyd Art Gallery, Harrington Park, NSW (CASS Exhibition)
Wagga Wagga Art Gallery: “Recent Acquisitions:Photos & Prints”
Australian Society of Miniature Art QLD Noosa Art Gallery
Australian Society of Miniature Art NSW Willoughby
Post It Exhibition, Atkinson Gallery, Southport, UK
Compact Prints, Umbrella Studio, Townsville
2005
Combined Art Societies Sydney, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW
“It’s a Small World”, Noosa, QLD
Australian Society of Miniature Art NSW Willoughby
2004
Australian Society of Miniature Art NSW Willoughby
Miniare: International Mini Print Exhibition Manly Art Gallery NSW
2002
‘Blueprints II’ Katoomba NSW
Australian Society of Miniature Art (Tas), Burnie Art Gallery TAS
“Text Messages”, Edinburgh Scotland
Miniature Print Biennale, Montreal, Canada
“Compact Prints”, Umbrella Studio, Townsville QLD
2001
‘Wetlands & Feathers’ with Patricia Devine, Richmond NSW
Australian Society of Miniature Art (QLD) touring exhibition – Germany
1999
Maranatha Art Group, Darwin NT
Willoughby Art Centre Students Exhibition NSW
2000
Maranatha Art Group, Darwin NT
“Territory Vistas” with Tammy Lindsay, Crafts Council NT
1998
“Visions of the Top End” with Tammy Lindsay, Palmerston NT
1997
Group - Di Skelly Heron’s Art Gallery, Myilly Point, NT
Public Collections
1st Armoured Regiment, Darwin
The Australian Print Collection of the Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Australia
Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, USA
Oregon State University, USA
Westmead Hospital, Sydney
Publications
Australian Artist Magazine #235 Jan 2004Baren (USA) Calender 2004Artists Palette #120 April 2013
Societies & Groups
NAVA
The Royal Art Society of NSW
Parramatta Art Society (NSW)
Viscopy
Macquarie Towns Art Society (NSW)
Ferry Artists Inc(Wisemans Ferry NSW)
Galleries
Rochfort Gallery Gift Shop North Sydney
Purple Noon Gallery Freemans Reach NSW
Thom Gallery, Byron Bay
Manyung Galleries Melbourne
19 Karen Contemporary Art Gallery, Gold Coast QLD
KAB Gallery Terrigal NSW
Print Exchange Collections
“Cairn” International Collaborative Print 2008Four Season Press (USA)“Water” 2009
SSNSW “Canterbury Tales” 2008Baren (USA) “Voyages” 2008
Baren #33 (USA) 2007Baren (USA)“Fairytales” 2008
Oregon University 2007Baren “Year of Boar” Postcards
SSNSW “In My Backyard Exchange” Print Australia Miniprint #4 2006
Baren “Year of Dog” Postcards SSNSW Postcards 2006
Printmaking Links “Pets”(USA) 2005Baren “Year of Rooster” Postcards
SSNSW Postcards 2005Print Australia “Nature Morte” 2004
Print Australia SSNSW Postcards 2004 Baren #18a (USA) 2003
Printmaking Links (USA)“Self Portrait” 2004 Iowa University Print Society (USA) ‘Origins’ 2002 Baren “Year of Goat” PostcardsDeck of Cards, Italy
Print Australia ‘Ausex 2001’Print Australia Open 2003
Baren #10 (USA) 2001Print Australia ‘Solstice’ Postcards 2003
Print Australia ‘What is a Print’ 2001Baren #14 (USA) 2002