Montreal born artist Mel Davis has created a series of colourful and bold interpretations of traditional themes. In this abstract painting, several large, lush orange fruits set against a sky-blue background appear to be hanging from a tree. As an art student, Davis was inspired by the colourful and fluid work of the French masters like Matisse. Her compositions are contemporary, embrace bright colours and reimagine classic form.

“I explore the space between what is familiar and what still can be mysterious. My work questions if we can find new and relevant areas of study in what is traditional.” – Mel Davis

She graduated from Concordia University with a BFA in 1998. A short study trip at the Slade School of Art in London was followed by a move to California where she acquired her MFA at the San Francisco Institute of Art. Davis still lives in the Bay area. Her work has been shown in both solo and group shows in Canada and the U.S.