Artist’s Statement
I feel I have chosen textiles or textiles have chosen me, to fully explore my ideas not only in colour but also in storytelling. I would like my art to express who I am, what I feel...and how I see the world. I want to share with the viewer the beauty and the wonder I see in nature...I would like them to see my spirit in my art.

I feel this creative journey I have taken has allowed me to truly know myself. My work seems to be a continual process of my own self-discovery. Each and every day I am fortunate enough to be able to create and involve myself in something I not only love but have a deep passion for. When I was five years old my grandmother first taught me to sew by hand in her kitchen. Just a simple embroidery of yellow flowers on a pillowcase but those sewing lessons had a profound impact on me and I now realize they were just the beginning of a passion that has been with me my entire life In choosing textiles I feel it somehow connects me to the quiltmakers who have come before me. The women who sat with fabric, thread and needle in the hand, sewing beautiful quilts. Quilts which I see as art but which they saw as simply a way to keep their families warm. I have a strong sense of that and it makes me proud to work in fabric and thread and to be a small part of that tradition.

Much of my work is inspired by the time I spend on the shores of Lake Superior...the energy of the lake, the beauty of the land, the endless sky that seems to go on forever and the underlying spirituality that exists there. I feel extremely connected to that...time and time again I am drawn back to finding a way to interpret those elements into my art...of expressing the never-ending beauty I find there. It enriches my spirit, shapes the way I see colour and inspires the work that I have yet to begin

To me, a quilt is a living document of cultural history, an expression of artistic, emotional and spiritual values. In my work I try to express my wonderment for the natural world, my deep rooted sense of spirituality and the ultimate mystery and beauty of life as well as explore the persistence of things in the world...bodies of water, stones, sky, trees and earth all become symbols of endurance and timelessness.

The processes involved in the creation of my work include painting, piecing, appliqué, collage, quilting and embellishing. Many of my fabrics are hand painted to create a richness and luminosity I have yet to find in commercial fabrics. Many of my pieces grow spontaneously while others grow from original drawings. I love and appreciate every step that is involved in the building of an art quilt, working with fabric seems to be so natural to me; I don’t even question it as it is an extension of my soul.

Biography
Melody is a full time textile artist whose work has been shown in Canada and the United States. She lives in a small village in rural Ontario but spends much of her time on the shores of Lake Superior, which continues to be an endless source of inspiration for her. She has chosen textiles as her medium of choice, as it best allows her the freedom to express herself and her ideas in colour, texture and storytelling.

Melody’s vivid images reflect her love of nature and her love of the quilt as an art form. She works in a variety of materials and threads. In addition, she uses commercial fabrics and frequently embellishes with embroidery and beads.

Exhibitions
Jessel Miller Gallery, Napa Valley California
Arts on King, Toronto
Gravenhurst Opera House (solo show, fifteen original works)
Creative Needlework Show, Toronto
Sir Sam Steele Gallery, Orillia, Ontario
Varney Gallery, Gravenhurst, Gravenhurst, Ontario
Abbott’s, Horseshoe Valley (solo show, ten original works)
Algonquin Gallery in the Park, Huntsville, Ontario
White House Art Show 2000
Eclipse Gallery, Deerhurst Resort, Huntsville, Ontario
White House Art Show 2001
Muskoka Art Show 2002
Images Artist’s Studio Tour 2003
Van Dop Gallery, Gallery Artists 2004
McIntyre Gallery, Gallery Artists 2004
Images Artist’s Studio Tour, Barrie/Orillia 2004
Van Dop Gallery Artist’s Show, New Westminister, B.C. 2004
McIntyre Gallery Artist’s Show Regina, Saskatchewan 2004
Art In The Park, Bracebridge, Ontario 2005
Van Dop Gallery, Gallery Artists 2005
McIntyre Gallery, Gallery Artists 2005
Art In The Park, Bracebridge, Ontario 2005
Van Dop Gallery Artist’s Show, New Westminister, B.C. 2005
McIntyre Gallery 20th Anniversary Artist’s Show, Regina, Saskatchewan 2005