MELANIE THOMPSON was trained as a graphic designer but has always been an artist at heart. She was first inspired to paint the landscape after working three seasons as a wildland firefighter. Never having spent much time outdoors, she worked weeks at a time with her crew digging fireline, monitoring fire behavior, hiking, and sleeping under the stars.

Melanie is deeply moved by the stunning vistas and by the fierce beauty of nature. In each painting she uses her training as a designer to intuitively construct simple yet powerful designs reflecting the pure wonder she feels when outdoors.

The most important practice in Melanie’s development as an artist has been extensively painting on location, or en plein air. Through direct observation, she captures the effects of light that often are lost in photographs and uses these studies to create a more beautiful and compelling work back in the studio. In her mind, a painting is not complete, whether created in the studio or on location, until it conveys both the appearance of a place and the feel of a specific moment — the smell of dust, the hot sun, or the cooling shade of a passing cloud.

Recently, Melanie has been exploring her homeland, the landscapes of Eastern Washington and Oregon, painting iconic locations such as Hells Canyon and Dry Falls. When confronted with the unique geology of these areas she is reminded of the overwhelming sense of awe she felt as a wildland firefighter. When people see her work depicting these often overlooked landscapes she would like them to taste the desert air, feel the sun on their skin, and see the splendor of the wild places around all of us.