We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melanie Matthews. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melanie below.
Melanie, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
What keeps me vibrant and committed to my painting and teaching practice is the sensation that it has a positive impact on people’s lives. I can bring the feeling of possibility agence and joy to people.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Since I was a very young child I knew with some certainty that some kind of art career awaited me, Though there was no role model or family history in my working class childhood that would have pointed to it. I feel very blessed that I had a strong will desire and direction that lead me to overcome each obstacle economic and otherwise, to ultimately attend community college and university to study art. I have maintained an art practice and developed a teaching practice through out my over 40 year career, I have made my living through out, Starting as a clerk in an art supply store, to manager to sales representative finally instructor brand ambassador . Always providing for myself then for a family, the challenges have been as great as the rewards. Now I teach at many venues at art schools colleges and museums as well as launching my own successful online painting classes which I developed during the pandemic ARTLab chez vous continues to draw people from across North America. Sharing my love of painting and building community through teaching has brought profound joy to my life, given me purpose and energy.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think that being generous with whatever you have to give is essential, Be radically generous, in the faith that all will cycle back, in its own time and in its own way.
Make the best of what you’ve got, carefully using limited resources can be the most rewarding. The constraint s in any given situation can stimulate the most creative thinking and expose the greatest approach.
Use your energy well in ways that bear fruit those per suits that feed you and others , don’t waste it, it’s finite
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I would love to work with contemporary galleries/ gallerists who curate space (physical and/or virtual ) and expertise in collaborative art making and exposition. I love community art programs and designing projects that involve working with the public to bring art making into wider social spheres.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melaniematthews.ca
- Instagram: artlab_chez_vous
- Facebook: Melanie Matthews ARTLab chez vous
Image Credits
Melanie Matthews
