Artist’s Statement
Color, texture, light, patterns and shapes emanating from nature have always fascinated me. Much of the inspiration for my work comes from forests, meadows, mountains, the waters, flora and fauna that abundantly surround us in the Northwest and my deep connection with this natural environment.
The earth and the life that abounds on this planet is part of a great mystery. Despite the dense layers of civilization, our busy lives and mobile phones, if we pause for a moment we discover that we are not so very far away from our origins, and that nature has the power to bring us back to a place of tranquility, silence and surprise. This is what I work to capture in my art through the layers of color, pattern and imagery.
Artist’s bio
Melissa Koch is an American born Artist who grew up in Europe. This led to an eclectic mix of Western and Eastern traditions in her art making beginning with growing up on a Greek island where she was introduced to the lush Mediterranean landscape and world of mythology. Melissa's love for the arts, crafts and culture of Asia taught her about the beauty and complexity of pattern, the joy of printmaking and how to make paper. Upon returning to the USA an invitation to carve ocean going canoes with a Haida master canoe carver and later being adopted into the raven clan of the Haida immersed Melissa into a whole other world of art and storytelling and an even deeper understanding of our connection to nature. Melissa is not connected by identity to any one place but to a blending of many places and influences which can be seen in her work.