“I am drawn to the reflective and fluid qualities of water and its ability to change colour. Moving across the painting, the sheen of the pouring medium mimics the sparkle and dynamism of water, bringing a sense of life and transformation to the canvas.”
I am compelled to capture and celebrate the intensity of nature. Georgian Bay often acts as muse, as my paintings tie my Canadian experience of being near the lake at my cottage with the powerful, yet therapeutic properties of water. My landscape paintings invite the viewer to a meditative space that evokes my visceral experience of standing at the water’s edge, which is where I find myself energized and calm at once.
My process explores the reflective, dynamic and colour-changing qualities of water and sky. Moving across the painting, the sheen of the pouring medium mimics the sparkle and dynamism of water, bringing a sense of life and transformation to the canvas. Surfaces are built up using moulding paste. Mixed media is incorporated, such as cheesecloth and sand. Imagery is painted. Pouring medium is used to form gestural lines and reflective pools over aspects of imagery and texture (moulding paste, mixed media) to create a landscape that meanders between abstraction and realism.
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Celina Melo graduated cum laude from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Specialist in Visual Arts and a Bachelor of Education in 2006. She is a teacher for Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, where she teaches high school Visual Arts, Photography, Media Arts, Religion and Canadian & World Studies. Melo is a member of Mississauga Arts Council, Colour and Form Society, Lakeshore Art Trail, Visual Arts Mississauga, and Ontario College of Teachers. She continues to exhibit her work across the GTA and Midland, Ontario. She currently lives in Mississauga with her husband, two daughters and her Yellow Labrador Retriever.
Celina Melo is a proud partner of Georgian Bay Land Trust. She donates 5% of all sales to the registered charity, which is dedicated to protecting the wilderness lands along eastern Georgian Bay and the North Channel in Ontario, Canada.
For more information on Georgian Bay Land Trust, visit www.gblt.org/protect-the-land/