Studio Sessions with Melanie Cheung
Q: Describe your art in three words.
A: Layered, fluid, expressive.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration?
A: Organic, weathered textures and interesting colour combinations I see when I’m walking around the city or spending time in nature. I tend to work from a place of experimentation and intuition, so I’d say that my own emotions play a role in my art as well. I have a background in fashion design and am also very into interior design, so I’m definitely influenced by both.
Q: What is your favourite medium and why?
A: At the moment — acrylic paint, water, and canvas. I’ve been working with raw canvas for the first time, experimenting with pouring techniques and using different tools like squeegees, palette knives and different brush sizes. I’d like to try incorporating paper and fabric collage into my work in the future. I also love to just sketch with pencils and paper.
Q: Who are some of your favourite artists?
A: Helen Frankenthaler, Bernice Bing, Georgia O’Keeffe to name a few. And as much as I don’t always love instagram, it has really opened up a world of amazing current artists to me that I probably wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. I love Heather Day’s work; I’ve been following her career for a long time and she really introduced me to the idea of working on flat canvases and pouring paint. I just recently found Kristen Giorgi’s art and I’m in awe of her work. Kate Zimmerman Turpin is also a favourite, and I love Jordan Nicole's (also known as High Desert Studio) art as well.
Q: Do you have a day job? If so, what is it and does it influence your creative process in any way?
A: Yes, my day job is designing home textile products and I’m a freelance graphic designer on the side. Previously, I worked as a fashion designer for many years. Working as a designer definitely influences my creative process. I’m constantly considering colour relationships and composition in my pieces. Working with textiles has also given me a lot of ideas for future pieces. I’d love to try painting on different linen qualities and I’ve been thinking a lot about textile collage and incorporating stitching and fabric dyeing into some of my future pieces.
