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MELISSA SHEKINAH
MYSTIC EARTH
"Mystic Earth" is a semi-abstract collection inspired by the landscapes and ecosystems encountered during Melissa’s six-month artist residency in New Zealand. Through painting, photography, and immersive observation, the series explores the interconnectedness between ecology, spirituality, and human experience. Rather than depicting nature literally, the works translate its rhythms, textures, and unseen forces into expressive semi-abstract compositions, inviting contemplation on the restorative relationship between humanity and the living Earth.
THERE IS HOPE
40cm x 80cm | Acrylic, Black Sand on Canvas
Painted directly on the volcanic coastline of New Zealand, "There Is Hope" incorporates localized black iron sand into the pigment layers, establishing a direct physical dialogue with the terrain. The contrast between deep mineral darkness and radiant gold explores the geological tension of oceanic boundaries. Rather than a purely symbolic gesture, the work grounds emotional transformation within the earth's natural capacity for endurance and renewal.
SALT OF EARTH
50 cm x 70cm | Plaster of Paris, Arcylic on canvas
“Salt of the Earth” was inspired by a sermon on Matthew 5:13 during the artist’s six-month residency in New Zealand. While reflecting on the biblical passage, the artist painted this work beside the sea, where the surrounding coastal landscape quietly influenced its earthy palette, textures, and atmosphere.
Rather than illustrating the scripture literally, the painting reflects on humility, resilience, and purpose. Its layered surface echoes both the physical landscape and an inner journey of contemplation, inviting viewers to consider what it means to remain grounded while contributing meaningfully to the world.
Created outdoors in dialogue with the coastal environment, the work marks an early stage in the artist’s exploration of the relationship between spirituality, place, and materiality—an approach that continues to evolve throughout her artistic practice.
FIRST SNOW
50cm x 70cm | Arcylic on Canvas
Capturing the artist’s initial encounter with snowfall in Southland, New Zealand, "First Snow" translates a sensory shift in environment into quiet abstraction. Soft, minimalist tonal gradients examine how a blanket of snow alters the acoustic and spatial qualities of a landscape. The composition records the physical stillness of a sub-zero climate, inviting a contemplative pause rooted in environmental awareness.
WHISPERS OF THE DEEP
70cm x 50cm | Arcylic, Rain on canvas
"Whispers of the Deep" investigates the unseen biological and geological structures beneath the ocean’s surface. Through layered relief textures reminiscent of fossilized shells and marine sediment, the work brings sub-aquatic micro-environments into view. It invites contemplation on the silent, slow-moving ecological processes that sustain marine life, bridging oceanic depth with human introspection.
EMERALD REVERIE
40cm x 80cm | Mix Media on Canvas
Evoking the geological rarity and light-refracting qualities of emerald formations, "Emerald Reverie" constructs a contemplative, semi-abstract sanctuary. Through layered mineral textures and deep chromatic intensity, the artwork explores themes of internal transformation, systemic harmony, and the intrinsic value of rare beauty in both nature and human consciousness.
A WALK IN NATURE WALKS THE SOUL BACK HOME
50 cm x 70cm | Mix media on canvas
Inspired by immersive forest trekking, this work examines the dense texture and layered light of temperate woodland ecosystems. Intertwining moss-like textures and layered greens document the intricate web of forest floor cryptogams and plant canopies. The piece redefines "returning home" as a biophilic reconnection with terrestrial habitats and sensory grounding.
LET THE GREEN SING AND THE YELLOW DANCE
50 cm x 70cm | Mix media on canvas
Conceived during an immersive solo camping in the Uretiti campsite Northland, New Zealand, this work examines the spontaneous, untamed vitality of the botanical landscape. The interplay of organic textures and vibrant pigments creates a meditative visual field, inviting a heightened state of mindfulness, presence, and ontological connection with the environment.
STRENGTH IN WILDERNESS
100 cm x 120cm | Mix media on canvas
“Strength in Wilderness” captures the raw, unfiltered power of nature as witnessed in the landscapes of New Zealand. Through expressive textures and dynamic forms, the painting embodies the spirit of resilience found within the wild. It invites viewers to discover that same strength within themselves, resonating with an energy that is both grounding and liberating.
CALLINGS OF THE WIND
50cm x 70cm | Mix Media on canvas
Informed by an immersive wild camping at Big River in South Island, "Callings of the Wind" translates atmospheric forces into dynamic textual layers. The painting investigates how extreme topography and unyielding winds shape both the physical terrain and human sensory perception. Dynamic impasto techniques reflect the raw energy of high-altitude ecosystems, evoking the non-human agency of atmospheric movement.
50cm x 80cm | Arcylic on canvas
OCEAN'S GIFT
"Ocean’s Gift" serves as a dynamic exploration of the sea’s elemental force and life-sustaining presence. Utilizing heavy textural application and fluid tonal transitions, the composition captures the rhythmic wave motion and profound spatial depth of oceanic waters, reflecting on the ocean as both a tactile physical entity and a symbolic origin of vitality.
WINTER'S CALLING
77cm x 100cm | Arcylic, Snow, Spring Water
"Winter’s Calling" serves as a site-responsive exploration of South New Zealand’s sub-zero microclimate. By incorporating raw snow directly into the pigment application, the canvas becomes a physical record of phase transitions and environmental forces. Rather than depicting the cold landscape from a distance, the work directly captures the unpredictable dynamics of melting ice and shifting winds, establishing a tactile link between organic impermanence and painterly gesture. The fluidity of the blues, ranging from icy light tones, silver to deeper indigos, mirrors the silent strength of nature in the colder months.
The unconscious movement, guided by intuition rather than strict planning, reflects the wild, unbound nature of winter scene, the way snow moves unpredictably across a barren landscape. This allows for a sense of surrender to the moment, where the artist is guided by both external elements (snow, wind, sun) and internal, intuitive impulses.
OCEAN OF THE SOUL
50cm x 70cm | Arcylic, Sand, Charcoal, Rain on Canvas
Created on location at North New Zealand Beach, "Ocean of the Soul" maps the intersection between coastal geography and internal emotional landscapes. Utilizing native sand and rainwater alongside acrylic mediums, the work treats the horizon line as a fluid boundary where human experience and coastal ecosystems dissolve into one another. It explores the rhythmic tide as an ecological metaphor for processing space, memory, and spatial belonging.
HEART OF MAGNOLIA
60cm x 80cm | Mix Media on Canvas
Inspired by the springtime bloom in Auckland, "Heart of Magnolia" explores plant resilience and structural delicacy through rich, tactile pigments. The work draws upon the biology of the magnolia—a species known for enduring shifting environmental conditions—to reflect on human emotional healing. By framing the organic form as a biophilic sanctuary, the canvas offers a space for introspection nurtured by the natural world.
WHISPERS OF WINTER
100cm x 100cm | Mix Medium
Whispers of Winter captures the quiet beauty of a winter landscape, with swirling shades of blue and white evoking the graceful movement of snow and wind across a vast expanse. It portrays the serene yet powerful rhythm of nature during the cold season—a harmonious balance of stillness and energy, silence and motion. The artwork invites the viewer to immerse themselves in the purity and tranquility of a snowy winter scene.
ELEMENTAL SYMPHONY
100cm x 100cm| Mix Media on Canvas
Serving as a synthesis of diverse geographic terrains, "Elemental Symphony" merges oceanic, forest, and mountain topologies into a unified visual ecosystem. Rich organic textures and vibrant pigment interactions form a spatial map where distinct terrestrial zones interface. The artwork functions as an appreciation of the Earth as a single, dynamic, and interconnected living system.
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