Melissa Hartley’s depictions of flowers, fruit and other household objects suspend time in an ode to the Golden age of 17th Century Dutch still life painting.

The detailed labour of Melissa Hartley’s paintings offer us an alternative to the clamour of disposable society to update and discard, urging us to slow down and to reflect on beauty all around us and appreciate the precious nature of our time.

Favouring the use of chiaroscuro, Melissa creates high tonal contrast between her shadowy charcoal backgrounds and illuminated subjects.

Melissa has been a finalist in many art prizes including The Kilgour Prize, Mosman Art Prize, EMSLA Still Life Awards and the North Sydney Art Prize winning the Award for Painting in 2017.