Info



 MELISSA FRANKLIN SANCHEZ

Melissa Franklin Sanchez was born in 1984, in Warwickshire, England.
In 2002 she graduated from her humanistic studies: Art, Music, English Literature, Performing Arts and Ballet.
In 2003 she completed an intensive art foundation course at the Slade School of Art, London. She then enrolled at the Florence Academy of art, a school dedicated to the study of realistic and figurative art.  She graduated with the three-year diploma in painting and was offers a 4th year of specialization.
Her work is currently represented in both Europe and the USA, by Scriba, InPARADISO Gallery, Venice, Italy, Grenning Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY, and Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, Texas.  She is also an artist member of the Concilio Europeo dell’ Arte.
Melissa’s love of Italy, its culture, beauty and tradition will continue to be an inspiration for her life and her work.

Solo Exhibitions

2011            ‘Primavera Senza Tempo’, IN PARADISO, Giardini della Biennale, Venice, Italy.

Group exhibitions

2011            Two-man Show, Grenning Gallery, USA

2010                Art Power, Concilio Europeo dell Arte, Venezia, Italia
                        Local Landscape, Grenning Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY, USA
                        The Lure of Florence, Jack Meier Gallery, Houston, Texas,USA
                        The Florence Academy of Art, Alumni Exhibition, Florence,Italia
                        200 anos, vivarium novum, Roma, Italia.

2009                  Paul S. Brown and the Florence Academy of Art Select, Patterson Gallery, London, UK.
St Francesco e Santa Chiara, Massa, Palazzo Ducale, Italia
Exposicion de pintura clasica realista de artistas venezolanos, Isttituto  Portoghese, Roma, Italia
Passion for Painting, Grenning gallery, Sag Harbor, NY,USA

2008                 All Paintings Great and Small, The Cooley Gallery, Old               
Lyme, CT,USA
San Francesco, Massa, Palazzo Ducale, Italia
Local Landscapes, Sag Harbor, NY,USA
Ten years, Grenning Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY,USA
Young Collectors exhibition, Ann Long Fine Arts, Charleston SC,USA
The Florence Academy of Art, Alumni exhibition
Patterson Gallery London, Uk



2007           Local Landscapes, Grenning Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY,USA
Studio Selects, Grenning Gallery, Sag Harbor NY.USA
The Florence Academy of Art Alumni exhibition, Florence, Italy

2006 New Studio Works and Plein Air Landscape Show, Grenning Gallery, Sag Harbor NY



ARTIST STATEMENT


Visually, it is light, color and design that draw me to a subject.  Conceptually, time, energy and Spirit hold my curiosity.

There is a fine balance between technique and idea. When they work harmoniously, great works are achieved. With that in mind, as a young artist I am always challenging myself.

I find my inspiration in the relationships with people and places around me. Travel plays an important role in my work. With my husband, artist, Ramiro, we often travel between Europe, Venezuela and USA.  I remain fascinated in front of these different cultures and environments.  Although the scenery changes I always find a common thread of inspiration.

I am constantly looking to capture the spirit of my subject, its essence. Sometimes purposely overlooking its physical reality. Not recording the physical shape of a tree but instead trying to interpret the feeling of the wind blowing through its leaves and stirring its branches. In my figurative work I aim to capture the personality and the feelings of the model not just a likeness. Working always from life, my paintings then become a biography of my subject.

I am often influenced by my life long relationship with theatre and dance. I am fascinated by the idea of appearance and reality. As in theater, a performer presents themselves in many guises, and yet, the real nature of the artist will always be apparent. In painting, we have a medium that allows us to express our greatest visions and however far from our reality, they will always be a reflection of ourselves.

I am naturally drawn to aspects of life that transcend time, Moments that could have been yesterday, today or perhaps tomorrow.  By observing nature, our environment and how we respond to it, we can understand ourselves better and find a greater meaning in our lives. I would like to offer my audience a window into a world that is around us but we don’t always take the time to notice. Sometimes we need to see things from a distance, abstract from our daily life, to appreciate their value.