Melanie

WHO: Melanie Monique Rose, visual artist. WHERE: Hamilton St. studio. CLOTHES: Black shirt, $52, Dean Renwick Design Studio (1861 Scarth St.); thrift store jeans, $5. FOOTWEAR: Black boots, $5, Sears Clearance (1908 - 7th Ave.) ACCESSORIES: Earrings, Contagious Love (jewelry company of herself and sister); necklace made by Cara De Gennaro; jade bracelet, gift; belt buckle, Our Best To You craft sale, gift. HAIR: Fran Gilboy.

In the upcoming year, Melanie will be busy working on an ongoing project at the Loggie Shoe Building. She will be part of the arts incubator, which will include working with a fashion collective called Seams Radical, that will be transforming the building. Part of the upcoming plans include a retail space, studios and a facility to provide art classes. Aside from her collaborations, Melanie will be creating jewelry, painting, and textile works while looking forward to the show she curated at Crushed Grape.

How did this new studio space come about? Marian Donelly brought us all together. She approached different types of artists working in different mediums. Eventually there will be a recording studio, arts related business as well as the fashion collective.

What is your favorite type of artistic medium to work in? I don't have a favorite. It is whatever medium that best expresses the idea. I really like painting because I find it very immediate, compared to textile work which is very process orientated. Although there is something to be said for something that takes a long time in the process that I like.

How did you become involved in felting? I went to the Kootenay School of Arts, Craft and Design in Nelson BC. It was just something that I really enjoyed the hands-on process of it. It is a process that not a lot of people are doing, especially within textiles in Saskatchewan. So it is important to me to share my craft with others, just to keep it alive.

If you weren't an artist, what do you think you would be doing instead? Probably traveling. I collect a lot of things, including art supplies, so my load becomes a lot heavier. But Regina is still gifting me with a lot of opportunities so I stay here, instead of travel.

What is your favorite thing to collect? I really like small precious things that have memory to them. For instance, this necklace that Cara De Gennaro made for me, is a collection of coins that my brother gave to me from Palestine and a stone my friend gave to me from Grasslands National Park.

You definitely seem to have your own individual style. How would you describe it? City country. I just realized that growing up in the country with a lot of influences, but I also went to school here in the city. So it was kind of a cross influence.