I am a contemporary watercolour artist who draws inspiration from the human form, portraiture, and abstraction.
I completed my painting studies at The Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University, in 2015, graduating with honours—my art style wavers between figuration and abstraction. I primarily paint with watercolour in an unconventional way on paper. Life drawing plays a significant role in my creative process, inspiring the subjects I paint. I tend to use a palette of pinks and reds, and my approach to painting is often intuitive, capturing transient emotions or moods within my subjects. I draw inspiration from various female artists throughout art history, influencing my techniques, composition, and style.
Mel Jane Wilson (b.1989 Naarm/ Melbourne) lives in Ballarat, Wadawurrung county. Her solo exhibitions include Rubicon Ari, Assembly Point, Melbourne; Mailbox Art Space, Melbourne; Seventh Gallery, Melbourne; Rooftop Art Space, Melbourne. She has participated in group exhibitions at The Art Room, Blacktown Arts Centre, NSW; Monash Gallery of Art; Unicorn Lane, Ballarat; Backspace Gallery/The Art Gallery of Ballarat; The Artists Guild, Melbourne; Red Gallery, Melbourne; Floating Goose Gallery, Adelaide; Montsalvat Gallery; Alderman Upstairs, Melbourne; Craft Victoria Gallery; McClelland Gallery; Sidney Myer Gallery.
She was recently a semi-finalist (2022) in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) with honours from the Victorian College of the Arts.
Mel Jane Wilson pays respect to the Wadawurrung people and their elders, past and present – the traditional custodians of the land on which she lives and makes art.