Blurring the boundaries between drawing and painting
THE PROCESS
Melissa’s drawings are made by dusting thin layers of graphite onto paper with a dry brush. The softness of the graphite provides a smooth surface that can be augmented by erasing in details and textures. No pencils are used in the work, allowing the surface to glow without the shine of heavy pencil marks. Illusion dissolves into brush work and the honesty of the material.
MNORIGINAL
About
Melissa Cooke Benson (b. Oconomowoc, WI, 1982) received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her drawings are in the collections of the Arkansas Art Center, The Museum of Wisconsin Art, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, and the Minnesota Vikings U.S. Bank Stadium Art Collection, and private collections across the country. She has been featured in New American Painting, Fine Art Connoisseur, Hi-Fructose, Drawing Magazine, and The Huffington Post. She lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota.