Daily Inspiration: Meet Melanie McFarland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie McFarland.

Hi Melanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It started with sewing. My mom sewed most of the clothing that was for me and my siblings. I didn’t see it as an art form, but she was an art major, graduating with a fine arts degree in 1944. She always had raw materials available for use in any manner and she welcomed the results. I learned by watching and imitating her. My field of study was fashion design. I love the engineering and problem-solving of getting a garment to fit and flatter. Looking good has you feeling confident, and that translates to being your best self. But I always returned to making for function. Making for art began later. A friend introduced me to textile art-making and I never looked back from there.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No, not smooth. I had an interviewer once tell me that my resume and career path was quite zig-zagged. I don’t think she meant it as a compliment, but I take it that way. The bumps keep you going and make you want to try harder. Early on, I was fired from a job selling fabrics in a retail setting – UGH! And for a long time after that, I was very motivated. I was going to “show that manager” that I would rise above and he would forever be stuck in a dead-end job in California’s central valley, going nowhere. Divorce was another huge challenge. It turned everything I knew upside down. I didn’t know if I should continue my sewn arts practice, even though I had exhibited and curated and was a published author in this field. I questioned everything and landed in a contemporary painting class at South Bay Art Department, where what I poured onto the canvas became a metaphor for life. Looking back, those paintings reveal courage, strength, resilience, attitude, and talent. Somehow my self-esteem, confidence and the ability to know my talent got lost in saving my life. What a joy it is to be reunited with what I love best, creating.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I believe my work is different because I incorporate sewing into my painted and mixed media pieces. A couple of years back, two friends I met in painting class, Alison Corteen and Sara Webster, approached me for a collaborative effort because they knew I could sew. They wanted to adhere pre-painted canvas to another already painted canvas and extend the paint and design outward. This was a very cool idea and has led to more collaborations and exhibitions. It was a big risk we were will to take. Other artist friends marvel at the ability we have to get along, promote and encourage the others, and produce successful work. That effort has led me to experiment more in my own practice. I paint background canvas along with integral separate pieces and stitch them to the background. Some of these pieces are quite large, six feet square. Others are one foot square. I make small collages with sewn details that zip together in numerous combinations. These small pieces are windows into my world. I use maps, postcards, clothing and other items from my travels, paint and seal over them, then collage, temporarily holding with glue stick. I add sewing details to enhance and emphasize the details. I am most proud of my skills in construction and sewing. They’ve taken me around the world as an expert. They bring me joy in my studio.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I don’t think I could live without the Notes app on my iPhone. I also rely heavily on the photo app, Instagram and Google Drive, where I store pictures, information and ideas. I am very curious and let that lead me to many discoveries. I love podcasts and Audible, plus iBooks apps. Preferring to read my news rather than watch, I enjoy various local, national, and international publications through their apps. Working spiritually, Pema Chodron, Brene Brown, Amy Cuddy, Carrie Bloomston, Insight Seminars, yoga with Julie Rader, Handel Life Coaching with Hildie Dunn, Intensati with Patricia Moreno all brought me back to a life I was meant to be alive in.

Contact Info:

• Email: melanie@melaniemcfarlandart.com
• Website: www.melaniemcfarlandart.com
• Instagram: mel_b_mcfarland
• Facebook: MB_McFarland

Image Credits:
All photos by Paloma R Dooley