Melissa Ritchie
Featured artist Melissa Ritchie on Colour In Your Life Season Five (5). Read a little bit about the artist here and support our site by joining and watching the episode below.
Melissa Ritchie is a Wollongong based visual artist, who is well known for her unique portraits. Predominately a painter (oil, watercolour & acrylic), Melissa is highly sought after for portrait commissions, having sold work all over Australia. With her flamboyant contemporary art style, she has also been a finalist in the Percival Portrait Prize, Black Swan Portraiture Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize and the Kilgour Prize. Painting from her Illawarra based studio in NSW.
Melissa’s portraits are a satirical celebration of the sitter. Influenced by graphic art, vintage design and ideas of genre, the phrase “Popster” has been coined to describe my Pop Art, poster-style paintings. Her paintings are vivid, colourful and full of life. Often using a sense of irony to create comedic themes, her paintings are a quirky twist on the traditional portrait.
“I portray a sitter’s personality by painting them in a role or theme, often fictional, that mirrors elements of their own true-life character. I like to think of myself as the Annie Leibovitz of portrait painting.”
With a background in graphic design, Melissa has a strong understanding of artistic design, typography and creative genres. She uses symbolism and intricate detailing to engage the viewer in a story about the subject of her art pieces.
“As an artist, it is important to portray the world around you with a certain level of intellectual insight. But on an equal level, I believe it is important to give a certain amount of pleasure to the eye of the beholder. My art reflects the wonderful personalities of my subjects. I like people to view my paintings with a glint in their eye and a smirk on their face. Full of colour and life. Art is beautiful and art can be fun!”
Melissa Ritchie can be contacted directly via her website at http://www.melissaritchie.com.au/
Episode: S05E06
Original Air Date: 11th August 2013
