Born in 1966, Melissa McGill is a self-taught mixed media painter. Based in Las Vegas, she draws on her background in visual design and commercial illustration to explore themes of communication and the dynamic nature of water. Her abstract expressionist paintings, complete with swathes of vibrant paint, experimental smudges, tears and jagged ridges and cracks, reflect the joy of movement.
Melissa McGill’s Style and Practice
Melissa's process involves her whole body. She pours and scrapes large strokes of colour across the canvas and then punctuates the scene with graphic lines and monotype printed textures. Although working with explosive and spontaneous gestures, Melissa's compositions remain highly balanced and take the eye on a journey. Finding inspiration in the natural world, McGill builds up her paintings in an organic way. Working primarily with acrylic paints allows her to create intuitively and explore new palettes and processes.
Exhibitions, Collections and Commissions
Clients include The NBA, Sony Music, Pioneer Music, Cisco Systems, and Adobe. Her work is in private collections worldwide. She has exhibited paintings in group and solo shows across the United States, in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York. She has presented her artwork at The Other Art Fair in Los Angeles and New York.
