"Nostalgic", “Earthy", “Haunting” and "Poetic" are the words most often used to describe her work.

Mel's artistic roots trace back through a long line of Nordic ancestors, among them her great grandfather and great great grandfather, both Swedish born artisans and architectural sculptors, the elder known for his early 20th century work.

Her path has been far from direct. Driven by a longing to reconnect, she turns to the old symbols and stories of Norse mythology and folklore, building a bridge across a deeply personal void and giving form to something long missing. 

Her work draws from the northern woods, the landscape and the light, and from centuries of her Nordic ancestry. Whether painting or sculpting, she works in the long tradition of making things with care, skill, and purpose, creating one of a kind heirloom pieces made to be lived with and, one day, passed down. Each piece is an act of reclamation.

Most days begin outdoors, walking the woods and marshes or out on still water, forever searching for the fog. Those soft gray mornings where everything slows and she can breathe. A photographer for over 15 years, she rarely goes without her camera, and many of the birds and botanicals she photographs later make it into her paintings.

When she isn't out wandering, you'll find her in the studio painting and sculpting, or cozied up at her old desk sorting through photos, editing, and writing.

Over the years, her work has been collected in homes and spaces around the world, in the United States, Sweden, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Australia.