I Believe In Spring, 40" x 48"

Acrylic on Canvas.

“It's the kind of day where I get up at 4:30 a.m. to finish a painting. The kind of day where I don't listen to the news, answer the phone or check my e-mail.
That kind of day.
The kind of day that gives meaning to my work.
Because sometimes, it's true, I wonder what the point of art is.
But not today.
Today I feel useful.
Strong.
Resilient.
Today my answer to all that is ugly is beautiful. Again, and more than ever. Today is the arrival of spring.”

Melanie Lefebvre’s work is informed by the region in which she lives, in particular the forest. The artist’s approach to her work is analytical and contemplative and her in-depth observations of her natural surroundings lead her to depict landscapes that are both detailed and romantic. The Forêt body of work explores certain connections between human beings and trees, by inspecting the emotions that bubble to the surface when walking through a forest and realizing that the soil under your feet is teeming with life. A constant cycle of renewal through seasons, under different angles of sunlight.

Each painting invites viewers to truly immerse themselves in the forest, so they can better observe, smell, hear and reconnect with it. Through the play of light and by altering the dimensions of a subject, the artist shows how you can interpret a landscape in many different ways. Thus the depiction of say, a smudge of paint, can also be viewed as a particular shape, a splash of light, a piece of textured material – harking back to the spontaneity and distorted imagery that were characteristic of the Impressionist and Expressionist movements.