Melanie is a mixed media artist working primarily with colourful painting. Her art draws on themes of shared human connection – thoughts or experiences we all have but rarely share out loud. Her aim is that the work that she creates through practising art will remind people of their inner child and who they really want to be, as well as inspire and challenge identity, connection and the role of art. She has completed numerous art residencies including at House Conspiracy in Brisbane and the Education Residency funded through Arts Tasmania where she worked in her studio at the high school in Scottsdale, Tasmania. Errey has presented solo exhibitions since 2022 and her work has been included in group exhibitions.

See Melanie’s work as part of our annual summer open call exhibition, Melting Point. While days grow long and shorts shorten, Six Foot Gallery is delighted to host twenty nine artists exploring art as an alchemical process; the heat of summer as an artistic catalyst, plus our Sextet listening station is back with twenty-one new pieces for you to spend some quality time with.

Hi Melanie! How did your artistic journey start?
As a child I frequently spent time alone getting lost in drawing and even started drawing in class when I got bored of the subject. After school I took design courses as a way to keep myself interested but once I started working at a modern contemporary art gallery – the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) I realised that creating contemporary art allowed me to express myself in new ways.

How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
I really like art that makes me keep thinking about why we are the way we are long after seeing it. In my sleep I have a lot of vivid dreams and often wake up feeling differently about things than when I went to sleep or like I’ve had a wild adventure. I find dreams are often an interesting way to go deeper into things that I feel are subconsciously coming up, so the theme of my work is often about things that we all do or say without realising.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
Experimenting and getting out of my comfort zone are essential ingredients to making something that still interests me. I’m constantly trying unusual materials and techniques a lot of which don’t work out well but gives me ideas about what would be best. And if that doesn’t fix it, go for a hike!

Which artists inspire you? Are there non-artistic influences such as literature or music that impact your work? 
Peaches! I love people who do things in a natural way that might be considered unusual. Also lots of feminist artists like Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Alice Neel, Wendy Sharpe and Natiform.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
I hope their own feelings about the world can be reflected in this work and it reminds them of a childlike wonder or a different way of living.

Will your next project be a continuation of your current style or are you experimenting with something different? Can you share a glimpse of your next project?
My next project is a more illustrative series of people in bathrooms. I find my work swings between abstract projects more related to a feeling and works that carry a story or idea about what to do with our lives.

Find out more about Melanie’s work on Instagram or her website. Melting Point runs at Six Foot Gallery until Thursday 9th July.