About the Artist
I’m Melody Slemming, a Canadian landscape painter living and working in rural Saskatchewan. Creativity has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I began drawing alongside my dad when I was very young, eventually working in graphite, charcoal and acrylics before spending 11 years as a professional photographer.
Motherhood and homeschooling brought a quieter season creatively, but also deepened the way I noticed the beauty of the ordinary life and the places we call home.
In 2023, I found my way to oil painting and back to the landscapes I had been surrounded by all along,
My work is rooted in Saskatchewan prairies -the immense skies, changing light, open fields and familiar roads of home. I’m especially drawn to those fleeting moments when the light transforms an ordinary landscape into something that makes you stop and look a little longer.
Through expressive brushwork, color and light, I hope to create paintings that carry both movement and peace. I want them to become more than something beautiful on a wall, to feel like an anchor within a home, holding a sense of place, memory and wonder.
Image take by Lisa Klassen
Melody chooses oil as her medium because of the richness in color, and the timelessness of the work. The slow dry time lends to a playfulness in application. You can paint Alla Prima which allows a interesting interaction with each mark, or paintings can be created over time adding layers of depth and complexity. With each added layer, a new dimension is revealed, inviting the viewer to delve deeper into the artwork. The captivating brush marks that accompany thicker viscosity paints bring a textural thrill, adding a tactile element to the visual experience. As light plays upon the varied surfaces created by these layers, the artwork takes on a dynamic life of its own, drawing the viewer in and commanding attention.
In between creating art pieces, Melody and her husband have taken on the rewarding project of renovating a 1930’s character craftsman home nestled on 13 acres of land. Her passion for design and decorating is flourishing as each room is reinvigorated. Amidst this, she devotes herself to homeschooling her three children while incorporating elements of homesteading into their daily lives. Their home sits on a hill near a river where storms roll by often, and the views of the skies are expansive. The perfect everchanging backdrop for inspiration.
FAQs
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They can dry to touch in 2-4 weeks but the curing process can take 6-12 months. They should be handled with extreme caution during the curing period.
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Yes, all my pieces have a varnish applied after the dry to touch timeline that still allow breathability to allow for the curing process. That way the surface is a little more protected.
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For Jan-Feb of 2024 my new collection will be hosted by City Perks Coffee in Saskatoon, Sk. I am setting up a few more places to host my work after. You can always contact me for to set up a 1:1 gallery viewing as well. Annually I collaborate with Rachel of Fieldstone Farms when she hosts her annual Dahlia Garden party. I set up my art on easels for people to enjoy the art and flowers together. That occurs around August near Davidson SK. Sign up on the email list to be notified of the event details.
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With my background of photography and setting up detailed vignettes, coupled with my passion for interior design, I’m happy to offer free consultations on how to best display your custom art collection. I am well versed in composition, color cohesion and lighting.