Arsenal for Today (grey)

My work has been highly influenced by the world of commercial art and graphic design. This translates to my art in many ways. My still life paintings are careful composition full of allegories, which capture a moment in time where all represented items are meaningful beyond the composition. 

'Arsenal for Today' captures a day in the life of a busy working woman. The handbag (metaphoric for the day) has it's contents strewn about, each a a modern day allegory:
money = work
lists = family commitments
pen = goals
shoes = freedom
glasses = vision
headphones = focus
ventolin = breath
paper crane = creativity

This painting is one in a series of still life painting with handbags, shoes and other mundane everyday items.

'Arsenal for Today' was a finalist painting in both the 2018 EMSLA Still Life Award (NSW) & 2018 Kennedy Prize (South Australia).

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Born in Georgia USA in 1978, Melissa moved to Australian as a baby and grew up in Windang, on the South Coast NSW. Melissa established a career in advertising since 1999, and started portrait and still life painting in 2012. Melissa has been a finalist in many Australian Art Prizes including the Archibald Prize, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Kennedy Prize, Kilgour Prize, Pirtek Still Life Award, Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize, Brisbane Portrait Prize, Black Swan Portraiture Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Art Award, John Copes Portrait Prize and the Percival Portrait Prize. Melissa won Wollongong Art Gallery’s ‘Postcodes from the Edge Art Prize’ in 2016.