The Abstraction of Oz, acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Painter and photographer Melissa A. Owoc uses her body of work to explore the self. Her abstract works are informed by her own introspective travels, and a philosophical mindset.

Lightness of being in flow, acrylic and mixed media on canvas

Outside of her artistic practice, Melissa has worked as a management consultant for large tech companies. Knowing this, I find a lot of her artworks take on a sort of meditative tone. I enjoy the composition of the artist’s abstract paintings, and the way Melissa floods the entire canvas with pigment yet always seems to have a master plan for the shape and arrangement of the color planes.

The front page of Melissa's website

Melissa’s photographic works are remarkably cohesive in terms of style, and similar to her painted works. As we discussed in our previous feature of her work, many of Melissa’s works seem to express water in different states. Whether it’s waves crashing on the beach, or a wave-shaped rock formation, there’s a sense of flow that permeates all the artist’s works. 

[Water] Ferry from Islay, photograph