Mel's passion for drawing began in childhood, leading her to pursue a Bachelor of Graphic Design. She thrived in the structured environment of learning design principles and exploring visual expression. After graduating, Mel lived in Japan from 2003 to 2004, immersing herself in its distinctive aesthetic while working as an English teacher. Upon returning to Australia, she expanded her artistic practice by studying Visual Arts, majoring in sculpture. This analogue process enabled her to explore personal expression through materiality, often incorporating fabric, particularly discarded clothing.

Mel’s interest in wearable art led her to establish a small business repurposing men’s suits sourced from op shops into sculptural women’s apparel. In 2017, she left Melbourne to embrace life in Central Victoria, settling in the tiny town of Tarnagulla, surrounded by state forest. There, she felt an immediate connection to the bushland, which became a source of inspiration.

During her walks through the local bush, Mel was captivated by the seasonal palettes and organic patterns. She often returned home with her pockets filled with treasures: stones, seed pods, kangaroo bones, and intriguingly shaped sticks. These found objects and the sensory experience of moving through nature inform her quilted works. Sewing and quilting became her way of translating these excursions into tactile, visual expressions, echoing the textures and rhythms of the landscape.

Although Mel’s sketchbook practice hones her observational skills, it largely exists alongside her quilting. She rarely relies on detailed plans, favoring simple thumbnail sketches for quilt ideas. Her design process is intuitive, guided by memories of places and an instinctive arrangement of colors, shapes, and textures.

Mel is drawn to art that invites close engagement. Quilts, with their softness, comfort, and tactility, resonate deeply with her. The use of fabric brings a sense of familiarity, while the process of cutting, joining, and reassembling allows for improvisation and endless recomposition. Her quilts, though not functional in the traditional sense, reference their historical role in providing warmth.

Primarily using reclaimed materials, Mel scours op shops for unique fabrics. Instead of creating colors like a painter, she works within the palette inherent to the textiles she discovers, adding hand-sewn details that make the passage of time visible. The textured surface of hand-quilting contrasts sharply with the sleek flatness of digital screens, offering a tangible, tactile experience.

A pivotal moment in Mel’s journey was encountering the quilts of Gee’s Bend around 15 years ago. These works demonstrated how traditional forms could be reimagined in innovative, personal ways. While her quilts often incorporate familiar block patterns like “Courthouse Steps” and “Rooftops,” she has recently embraced applique to create more organic shapes, further enriched by hand-quilting as an expression of time and process..