Melissa Porter

I’m a storyteller.
My artwork is the intimate narrative of the stories I have experienced or witnessed. Stories of the human condition and what I know of it: faith, loss, and betrayal, but also triumph, strength, and courage. When words fail me or the subject is too harsh or crude to bear, I turn to objects, images, and color. I rely heavily on the use of universal symbolism within the images and objects I choose to emphasize emotion. Frequent themes are water, with its power to renew and destroy, and the violin, which represents a woman I have come to know and my relationship with her.

I am a mixed media artist.
I work with a variety of old, used, discarded items that no longer hold value in their original form. The reworking of these resale or found objects appeals to my “waste not, want not” philosophy and upbringing, and keeping these sentimental treasures from the landfill...that sits well with my soul.  My first love of photography gave me the skills to tell stories visually as I didn't fancy myself as a writer -- being dyslexic. When I am in need of comfort I tend to work with softer materials. Embroidery work also connects me to what has been known to me as “women's work” and a prayer is sewn into every stitch for anyone who has ever felt the way I have felt.  Collage gives me the ability to layer ideas and imagery to create visual depth and soulful understanding. When I allow myself to play with the materials I have collected in my studio, touching and connecting with each item, stories from a distant memory or a dream begin to emerge. It is intuitive, and it is only when it is finished do I know what story needed to be told.

I am an empathetic human.
The world is oversaturated with images and information,  I crave a world with softer edges for my empathic self.  Creating with black and white, using desaturated imagery and limiting my color palette helps to soften the harsh realities of life.  I do this out of compassion and respect for myself and my audience.