Melissa says of her work: “My process begins with an immersion in the landscape; jotting notes; scribbling responses; and creating a shorthand code for the natural environment. I am drawn to the rich dichotomy of both coastal and inland country and my work often sits between these two worlds. Painting for me is a sensory experience, allowing the work to develop of its own accord is paramount to the process; through mark-making, colour play, and integrity to materials and surface. Landscape becomes the vehicle for self-expression.”