TENDER

Soft. Vulnerable. Gentle. Sensitive to pain.

Melinda has created a new album called Tender with 12 original tracks. To accompany the album, she has created 12 abstract art paintings, to express her feelings and the meaning of each song.

As a naturally creative soul, Melinda discovered that visual art provided her with another powerful medium, much like singing and songwriting, to express herself and explore freedom through artistic expression.

Artist Statement

Soft. Vulnerable. Gentle. Sensitive to pain.

I've always been tender, in every sense.
As an empath, I feel to the bone.
As a young woman my tenderness worked against me... fruitless and painful.

Something had to give.

I began a journey of self-acceptance; slowly becoming brave enough to stand tall in my own skin.
The journey led to my wonderful husband, and our baby boy and a deeper, more authentic creative expression.
Now, I can be tender for my son. Soft with nature. Vulnerable with others. Gentle on myself.

And tender through my art.

For this exhibition, the musical composition came first, then the visual works.
I created the album Tender and developed 12 original paintings representing the 12 songs from the album.
I created each piece by applying acrylic to plywood with brushes, twigs, rollers, rags and sponges.
Plywood has so many gorgeous flaws — it’s the perfect surface for the techniques I use, which are similar to the rhythmic pulse of songwriting.

I hope that as you experience Tender, you connect with your own journey — and feel proud of how far you have come.

— Melinda x