I am so glad you are here!

Let me introduce myself: My name is Melanie Smolenaars and I am an Australian artist who is mainly known for my alcohol ink and mixed media paintings. My paintings are serene abstracts, with flowing, rich color palettes and ample use of gold.

I see painting as a form of mediation. It brings calm in a world of chaos.

I love working with a variety of media, exploring their possibilities, and mixing them together and experimenting. I very much enjoy pushing the boundaries of the different media. My favorites at the moment are alcohol inks, I love their chaotic and unruly nature. The inks very much do what they want to do, they are impossible to control completely. They have taught me the art of letting go.

Please feel free to explore, and let me know if you have any questions!

With Love, Melanie

People often ask me if I have any courses available. The answer to that is no, unfortunately not. I am looking into a way to teach people. But until then I have some little tutorials and time lapses available on YouTube. Feel free to check it out, and subscribe!

If you have any questions, you can leave a comment on the video, and I will try to answer asap.