Lyn Mellady - Artist

THE SERIES

While Lyn continues to paint the things that are important to her she is sometimes so taken with a subject that she wishes to give it a more concentrated exploration to the exclusion of all other work. This series of paintings (or drawings) is finished when she feels as if she is satisfied with the intriguing variations, often quite subtle, and feels content to leave that subject as finished.

1984-The first series consists of detailed drawings of interesting City Landmarks in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. These drawings have been retained intact by the artist. Limited edition reproductions only are available.Prints
1987-The second series of 10 paintings was entitled "Golden Days of Childhood". This was a dual exploration of the fleeting moments of play using a non solid form of colour similar to random pointilism. As the short dashes of colour combine our eyes combine to catch the energy and fleeting image of our children at play.
2001- The Bay- Lyn started to consciously make a selection of beaches along the shore of Port Phillip Bay. This will be an extended series collated and recorded within the first years of the new century.
2003 -'Haybales' grew from passing the haybales in the Mornington Peninsula paddocks all summer. As the grass grew and the light played on the shapes it became more necessary for her to explore the subject.
2004 - Gunnamatta - This series will be a collection of images insired by one evening before the sun set in April 2004. She visited there after the last family outing before Lyn's Father took ill. He had introduced her to beaches when young and it has always been a special place for her. It was a special day also as she was accompanied by her daughter, Kristina (also a talented artist) who had just announced that she was happily pregnant. The afternoon warmth of the sun and its resultant warm light and cool shadows on the sweeping dunes was backed perfectly with rolling, foaming waves. The world had a beauty far above any trials that we all cope with.
2005 Twilight series was launched one evening by a walk along Frankston beach. Initially there to capture the low light on the sand and activity at the end of a long hot day, Lyn's focus changed. A low level cloud covered the sun and the light changed. The low tide had left large shallow pools of water and the reflections had to be captured. Originally intended to be a series of 8 Lyn felt satisfied after 6. This series required an open feel and the stretched canvas, unenclosed with frame best represents the open space which is an integral part of the feeling.
2005-6 About Face - Shared artistic endeavours, friendship and the need to grow beyond the professional side of their work, Lyn and five other artists will work both privately and in collaboration on a series portraits of each member of the group. The thirty six, life sized works will be shown at the completion of the project.
2007 - The Wave - Turning from the conventional pastel surface provided by manufacturers, Lyn wanted to explore not only the details missed with the speed of the breaking wave but the subtlety and miriads of of colours visible as she views the wave translucency in different conditions. The size of the painting is limited by a) her ability to carry it and b) by the size of the framer's glass for the farming.
2010 Bush - Always attracted and distracted by the light of morning or evening as she travels to or from Melbourne on her painting trips, Lyn decided to follow her inclination to stop and enjoy the light. This short series comes from this exploration.
2011 - Fraser Island - A three day visit to this incredible sand island, the largest of its type in the world has resulted in a series to reexplore and visually revisit this beautiful place. It has always had a fascination as a place of family history for her. Two sisters from her fathers family seemed to disappear for years in the early 1900s. They were found decades later living on Fraser Island.