Melisse's Artist's Statement

     I approach the design and construction of my quilts much as an artist approaches a canvas. Each quilt is made up of individual pieces, but I visualize it in its entirety. Although my work is rooted in traditional quilt making, I continually strive to create works that break the established mold.
     I usually work in a series with each quilt unique but building on a theme. I collage and improvisationally piece fabrics that I have dyed myself. I quilt by machine, using lines that enhance the piecing or tell a story on their own.
     Every quilt is a challenge to adapt the ideas in my head into new forms, and I find myself constantly asking the question, "What if…?"

Melisse's Notable Achievements

Melisse was juried into Nancy Crow’s first Color Improvisations exhibit which opened at the Museum Tuch+Technik in 2016 in Stuttgart, Germany, and toured throughout Europe and Britain for four years. Her entry in that show, “Seeing the Light,” was on the cover of the advertising brochure for the tour and was also featured on the cover of the Studio Art Quilt journal. Melisse has had half a dozen solo shows, and her work has been included in numerous regional, national and international exhibitions including those sponsored by the Surface Design Association, the Studio Art Quilt Associates and the Contemporary QuiltArt Association.

Click here to go to Melisse's own Website