Melanie Desjardines has been a practicing artist in Prince George for the last 18 years, as well as a gallerist, having owned and operated the Groop Gallery from 2010-2017. Her paintings and artworks have made it into various homes, offices, and public spaces locally, as well as throughout B.C. and parts of Canada.
Having retained a sampling of her own work over the years from various past exhibitions, she is now choosing to share a rather eclectic collection of diverse pieces in this exhibition, as well as some of her newest work.
She originally started out painting with watercolors and acrylics, although owning a sheet metal business with her husband eventually expanded her art-making practice, as she’s been using metal as her canvas in much of her work since. She loves to explore with dissimilar materials, various different mediums and substrates, collage, mixed media, and assemblage with items that she admits are often found on the floor of their shop, on her travels, or even in the bush. She has a certain penchant for oddities and found objects, and her family is trained to not throw things away without her prior approval.
Her creative approach is without limits and she indulges in whatever muse appeals on any given day, or whichever way the wind blows.
Artist Statement
“My favorite motto is ‘There are no rules’. Creating imagery that catches the eye, delights or surprises us, or simply questions the mind or the process, is what inspires me. I believe that being creative is a state of mind. A way of thinking and looking at things…….. maybe a little differently than most.