Bio

 

Born and raised in North Vancouver BC, Melanie has enjoyed a life-long passion for the arts. Her earliest artistic influence has been her father, whose flare for whim and fancy in the arts fed her soul and helped form this life-embracing artist. Much of her early artistic training was at the hand of her father and through local community art programs. She won her first award in the arts, participated in her first group show, and sold her first painting all before the age of  ten. With this solid foundation Melanie has spent her most recent years returning to the art field, through intensive self- learning and honing of her skills. Her work was quickly recognized and she was welcomed on by several galleries and began to sell her work regularly. Melanie has participated in many group and solo shows across the lower mainland and has received several awards. She has reached International status, as her work resides in private collections in New Zealand, Great Britain, Italy and across the US and Canada. 

 

Melanie is a member of the Port Moody Arts Association and the North Vancouver Arts Council.

 

Statement

 

My interest and focus as an artist lie in spotlighting the rich palette where human desire and life experience meet.  Best described as contemporary realism, my work seeks to explore the emotional attachment we have to contemporary objects as simple vignettes of life. The objects portrayed in my still lifes readily become powerful catalysts to a world of memories and emotions that are deeply personal to the viewer.  I strive to create bold visual images, rich in texture and colour with a strong emphasis on light and dark contrast, as I believe these elements also contribute to the emotional impact of the objects themselves. I often rely on tight cropping in order to sensationalize the subject in an effort to promote a greater connection between the object and the viewer.

 

My still life subjects delve into the world of food, candy, childhood games, antique objects, traditional holiday accoutrements and other objects that spark the desire of the heart and contribute to a richness and fullness of life.

 

 My work spans the mediums of Soft Pastel, Acrylic and Oil and ranges in size from minuscule to large scale.  This broad range in size and medium allows me greater freedom to explore the unlimited ways to trigger the human emotional connection through my art.

 

 

MELANIE COSSEY’S ARTIST CV

 

Born: North Vancouver, BC 1968

 

  Workshops: Dianna Ponting, Janice Robertson

 

SOLO SHOWS

 

2010 Pastel Show, Municipal Hall, North Vancouver, BC

 

2009 From Dust,  Place Des Arts, Coquitlam BC

 

2008 Fabulous Food, Port Moody Art’s Centre Scotiabank Gallery, Port Moody

 

2007 Light, University Women’s Club at Hycroft Vancouver  

 

2007 Fabulous Food, Futu Entrée Preparation, Coquitlam                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS 

 

2010 Thoughts on Green, Port Moody Art's Center, Port Moody, BC (juried)

 

2010 NVCAC Art Rental Show, North Vancouver (juried)

 

2009 Art in the Park- Minnekhada Park, Coquitlam BC (juried)

 

2009 Harmony Arts Festival- Group Show, Bellevue Art Gallery, West Vancouver  (juried)

 

2009 Art in the Garden Tour – NVCAC- West Vancouver BC (juried)

                                                  

2009 A Fine Romance–Taking Art to Heart, Artist Circle Show, Port Moody Art Centre (juried)

 

2009 Art Rental Programme, Cityscape Community Art Space, N.Van BC (juried)                        

 

2008 Renew Yaletown Gallery, Vancouver BC (juried)                                                                       

                                                                

2008 Water is Life Artist Circle Show, Port Moody Art Centre, Port Moody BC  (juried)           

 

2008 Art Rental Programme, Cityscape Community Art Space, N. Van BC (juried)

                     

2007 Anonymous Art Show, North Vancouver BC                                                                          

 

2007 Another Artful Indulgence Gallery Artists Show Inlet Wellness Gallery, Port Moody BC

 

2007 Garibaldi Art Club Fall Show, Maple Ridge BC

 

2007 Port Moody Art Association Fall Show, Port Moody BC

 

2007 34^th Annual Arnold Mikelson’s Art Festival, White Rock BC

 

2007 Eagleridge Hospital, Port Moody BC

 

2007 Port Moody Art Association Spring Show, Port Moody BC

 

2007 Garibaldi Art Club Spring Show, Maple Ridge BC (juried)

 

2007 Festival of the Arts Studio Tours, Port Moody BC

 

2007 Artist Circle Show, Innovation Centre Coquitlam BC

 

2006 Honey I Shrunk the Artwork, Act Gallery Maple Ridge BC (juried)

 

2006 Artists at Work, Cloverdale Library, Cloverdale BC

 

2006 Visions of Shakespeare, Eileen Fong Gallery Vancouver BC

 

2006 33^rd Annual Mikelson’s Festival of the Arts, White Rock BC

 

2006 Pleasantside Evening for the Arts, Port Moody BC

 

2006 Artworks for Anmore, Port Moody BC

 

2005 Anonymous Art Show, Cityscape Community Arts Space, N. Van BC

 

 

GALLERY REPRESENTATION                                                    

 

Inlet Wellness Gallery, Port Moody BC                                                                            

 

Old Customs House Gallery, Britannia Beach, BC

 

 

AWARDS

 

2010 Honorable Mention, NVCAC Art Rental Show

 

2007 People’s Choice Award. Garibaldi Art Club Fall  Show

 

2007 People’s Choice Award Runner Up Garibaldi Art Club Fall Show

 

2006 Visions of Shakespeare Third Place Award

 

 

MEDIA COVERAGE

 

2009 Tri-city News August 12

           

2007 “The Express” Shaw Cable

 

2007 Tri-City News Oct 15

 

2007 Tri-City News March 4