About

Mel has a passion for learning new things and is driven by an urge to create. She was reared in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where she developed an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. An enthusiasm for new art forms led Mel to Philadelphia where she apprenticed as a silversmith and received a BFA in printmaking from Tyler School of Art.

With a fierce desire to be independent, Mel set off in search of a new way of living — one more in tune with nature and less dependent on modern convenience. Her journey led her to the high desert of Arizona where she currently lives and farms on her off-grid homestead.

Inspired by the backdrop of the nearby Painted Desert, Mel began her works in watercolor soon after moving to Southwest. Her vivid use of color replicates the intensity of the landscape, while abstract forms represent thoughts and emotions that emerge from within.