Melissa Leigh Friedman • Nectar of the Bee

Creating art to me is about working to reconcile big questions, ones that are often unanswerable. The paint relieves the canvas of its unknowing and the questions are simply replaced by a renewed sense of trust. My paintings are inspired by the relationship between the natural world and the human condition. Many are, in essence, a form of activism. There is heartbreak and resolution; there is questioning, tension and emotional release. And ultimately, there is a piece that comes from working to understand the energy of both the simplicities and the complexities of this dance- a piece that often looks nothing like what I set out to create. Such is life.