Maddabling: Friday Friends, Local Artists, Meleah Farrell Abstract Photography

Hello Friday and hello lovely Maddabling blog readers. I hope your collective weeks were wonderful. What does your weekend hold? I *need* to do some gardening, the vege patch is looking a little sad and I think I have some beetroot ready to harvest.

This week it is my absolute pleasure to introduce to you all a wonderful local creative - Meleah Farrell; Abstract Photographer.

I really do adore the wonderful art that Meleah makes. As part of the Art Trail, we visited her gorgeous studio on the weekend just past. Let me take you on a journey now.

When you arrive at the Studio, you park in a woodland clearing and walk up a bush path to arrive at Meleah's studio.

The studio is divine, it is so light and airy and is perched upon a hill.

There are lots of hidden treasures to be found, just open your eyes and mind to the fantastic images; you can also enjoy the wonderful vintage items on display in the studio!

One thing that Meleah enjoys is playing a guessing game with her visitors, being that her art is of an abstract nature. She is happy to share with you what is behind the abstract image in her photographs, but you may have to make a guess first :)

It was really wonderful to visit with Meleah, and discuss her craft in person, being that most of my blog posts are created through emails and I don't always get to meet the artist face to face. So a big big thank you to Meleah for this opportunity.

PLEASE RESPECT THAT SOME OF THE IMAGES HAVE BEEN SUPPLIED AND USED HERE WITH MELEAH'S EXPRESS PERMISSION, PLEASE DO NOT REPRODUCE OR USE HER WORKS (SPECIFICALLY LOTUS, CAREENED, THE EMPIRE and FROM WITHIN) IN ANY WAY WITHOUT HER EXPRESS PERMISSION.

I invite you now to share A Moment with Meleah Farrell - Abstract Photographer. See you all on Sunday night for the weekend blog post x

A Moment with Meleah Farrell;

Abstract Photographer

1. Tell me about your creative side, how did you get started?

I developed an interest in photography in my teenage years but growing up, creativity for me was fore mostly found in dance.

It was when I was living in a small, rural fishing village in north Malaysia back in 2001 that I started to pursue photography as a hobby a little more seriously. I bought my first SLR camera, started a course via correspondence, began to learn how to take back the controls of image making, and I was hooked.

2. What are your current sources of inspiration?

I have always taken inspiration from my everyday and the spaces around me.

Recently, some of those ‘spaces’ included the stimulating and magnetic New York City, the diverse and whimsical city of Montreal and the modestly beautiful state of Maine – all on our North American ‘vay-cay’.

My camera was glued to my side the entire time. It was such a wonderful, explorative and all inspiring month of creating and playing photographically.

3. Do you have a favourite photography technique?

Not one favourite, no. I LOVE lots!!!

The subject matter, along with the available light, tend to dictate what techniques I use, or indeed break, when creating each image.

However, I have recently been messing around with the technique of ‘bokeh’. I love the blurry, creamy like properties it produces and the playful nature of its process.

4.You recently held some creative abstract photography workshops - can you tell me a little more about them?

I was approached by the Denmark Community Resource Centre to run a series of abstract photography workshops in the lead up to its annual Photography Competition. It was hoped that the workshops (titled “Shift Your Focus”) would have its residents thinking more creatively about “what connected them to Denmark’ and see some images that reflected a different perspective of their town.

For me, it was my first time being on the ‘other side’ of a workshop forum. A little daunting at first but I absolutely enjoyed every moment. My workshoppers were a diverse bunch and it was really special to be able to share and connect with each of them through photography.

My next workshop adventures are with the Albany Summer School in January 2014.

5.You are holding an exhibition as part of the 2013 Bendigo Bank Southern Art + Craft Trail, what can you tell us about "VOID"?

VOID is a photography exhibition exploring the spaces between, interim distances and absences in our own landscapes.

I have tried to capture the connection of those void spaces around us. Whether it be amongst clouds, though reflections, in shadows or amid bright lights……

With this exhibition I not only wanted to present the viewer with visually challenging images, but I wanted to deliver a finished product that side stepped the normal ‘photography print in a frame’. With VOID I have printed/mounted my imagery not only onto paper but brushed metal, textile, stone + acrylic – transforming them into jewelry, outdoor art and home wares.

6. How do you hope to see your creativity evolving in the future?

I count myself as a pretty lucky gal that I get to create every day, for a living. For the future, I just hope to continue to engage with, nurture and push my creativity.