Rising Stars: Meet Melanie Grein

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Grein.

Hi Melanie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve been an artist my whole life. It is the very fabric of my being. I look at the world in a special way, and it is a delightful place to be. 3 raindrops dripping down a window pane become an elegant composition. I am mesmerized by the texture of a decaying log or moss growing on a rock, the color combination of a wheat field in twilight against a blue/black sky.

Paint is not my only form of expression. I am a do it yourselfer and a closet Architect, Interior Designer, Jeweler, Ceramist and Chief. I’m always looking for a project. I just finished antiquing a mirror for my home and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I love every form of artistry. I also have a pretty lofty goals. I dream of decorating the lobby of Ritz Carlton, designing a yacht for a rock star, taking a cooking class in Tuscany and maybe designing my own wardrobe alongside Miuccia Prada. That would be so much fun! Any form of creativity excites me. I love being surrounded by and making beautiful things. Experimenting with design, paint, texture and collage offer a lifetime of entertainment and opportunities.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a hard year!

I was very excited to make the jump from a “real-job” to a full-time self-employed artist. After years as a graphic designer and years working as a designer at a fun frame shop in Littleton, I retired from the secure salaried world to paint full-time. Transitions come with their share of challenges, but they can be very empowering and rewarding. This year though has become the most personally challenging of them all, overwhelming in fact. In September ’21, I lost everything in a fire–all my papers, letters, photos, furniture, clothes, art supplies, most of my finished works and works in progress, and the awesome works of other artists collected over a lifetime.

It has been hard to focus on painting in the midst of loss and chaos, but I am determined to prioritize my art, which helps to calm my emotions and environments. In the midst of these challenges, I’ve realized how strong I can be and how valuable those support systems are to my well-being.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I paint abstract and minimalistic landscapes. I paint as a form of expression and self-discovery. Each mixed media work is a story within itself representing a journey, memory or a mood. No matter what I’m painting, it’s always relationships. Relationships of space, line, color and texture. How everything interacts together.

My use of materials and mark-making set me apart from others. I use acrylic paint mixed with charcoal and graphite on venetian plaster. I am obsessed with Micaceous Iron Oxide! It feels like asphalt when dry and it catches the light with what looks to be tiny flecks of diamonds throughout. It’s in every abstract I’ve ever created! I also love to incorporate patterns with multiple circles that I hand draw with graphite. It’s the last thing I do. I just love that finishing touch. They create a midtone that pulls each element of my paintings together.

With everything going on in my life right now, I’m most proud of showing up. Getting up and moving forward. I’m proud that I was able to create a body of work to show at Walker Fine Art this year. I get lost in the process of painting, so It proved to be very therapeutic and uplifting.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When I think of risk taking, I associate it with being brave. Getting back in the water when I’ve been stung on the face by a jellyfish in the Galapagos, stepping on several sea urchins after being thrown off a kayak in an angry surf in Mexico and getting caught up in a current in Key West. Despite challenges, the good always outweighs the bad if you put it in perspective. I’ve been blessed with opportunities to visit fabulous places throughout my life: Iceland in the dead of winter, Greece by myself, sailing the Mediterranean, living in England. Everywhere I went, I found inspiration in the colors, shapes, sounds, architecture, design, jewelry, food, even languages I didn’t understand. These experiences have greatly influenced my art and the way I live my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melaniegrein.com | www.walkerfineart.com
• Instagram: @melanie.grein

Image Credits
John Bosley