Melanie McCollin-Walker, Early Morning on the Whyte River, 2025, acrylic on linen, 202 x 141cm framed.
Is there a better way to celebrate the trees of Tasmania? Painter Melanie McCollin-Walker ventures into the wilderness and returns with a masterpiece. A large-scale landscape inspired by a moment deep in Takayna/the Tarkine.
Last winter Melanie and her husband Brent set out in a kayak in the pre-dawn darkness and paddled up a flat calm Whyte River. As the sun rose over the misty water, the scene unfolded: “It was one of those magical moments. As we were coming around a bend in the river, the first shards of sunlight hit the trees and the mist began to melt away,” she reminisces.
Back in her studio Melanie created Early Morning on the Whyte River for the Celebrating Trees exhibition. “Trees are the reason life exists on this planet. They give so much to humanity on a daily basis.” This work is similar to the photo-realistic paintings of her recent solo exhibition, which was a sell-out success. “I like large scale works because they become immersive for the viewer. A literal doorway to another world.”
Melanie continues to go from strength-to-strength. She is a finalist in the 2025 Hadley’s Art Prize, and again the magnificent old growth forests of Tasmania’s wilderness are her inspiration. “Takayna is special. We need to treasure and preserve it.”