Melanie Francis Islamic Fine Art

I have always been drawn to the traditional Paradise Gardens of Islam, and as a child of an engineering and a botanist parents growing up in India, I visited many such gardens.

My work interprets the elements of solitude and connection that paradise gardens contain, a cosmic link in their symmetry. 

A religion of the desert that visualized and created Paradisiacal Gardens, an oasis of abundance; reflect a natural order in beauty, and a profound cosmic connection in nature - powerful spaces for the senses. 

My works focus on a contemplative contained space and the senses evoked. I use traditional and historic biomorphic shapes, patterns with connection through geometric references, worked with bold lines,  colour in Indo-Islamic styles and techniques. 

I study at the studio of Ajay Sharma in Jaipur and the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts London. 

As a child and young adult in India my connection has deepened further in my work with me travelling and living in to the Middle East.

A country of richly refined temples, geometric water tanks, complex music, printing, dancing, singing; a myriad of creative elements imprinted through living in the many unique cultures of India.

I paint using a selection of natural pigments, gouache mixes, golds and  gemstones using traditional methods on handmade papers.

40 years of experience, a lifetime of seeking and a never-dwindling passion for ancient traditions

A handful of the gatherings from along the way…

  • Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) Bali

    Neka Art Museum Ubud Bali Green

    Olive Arts Tetouan Morocco 

    Albany Center Gallery 

    American Watercolor Society Buffalo

    AKG Museum Show NY

    Ann Arbor State Fair Michigan

    University of Georgia- Athens St Louis Watercolor Soc. 

    Louisiana Watercolor Soc. 

    New England Watercolor Soc. National

    Watercolor Show USA

    Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society  

    Naples Art Gallery Florida 

    Watercolor USA Honor Society 

    Ontario CraY Council 

    Toronto City Hall Art Shows 

    Queens Quay Harbourfront Toronto

    Vasco Da Gama Cultural Centre Brampton  

    Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor  

    Fine Art Gallery Vancouver 

    Ontario Society of Artists Shows 

    Art & Letters Club Toronto 

    John Aird Gallery Toronto 

    McMillan Art Gallery Toronto 

    City Hall North York 

    Justina M. Barnacle Gallery

    Art Museum University of Toronto 

    Ring Gallery North York  

    Mississauga City Hall Art Gallery 

    Art Etobicoke City Centre 

    Windjammer Gallery Bermuda 

    City Hall Gallery Bermuda 

    Bluck’s Gallery Bermuda  

    Arts Centre Dockyard Bermuda 

    Bridge House Gallery St. George Bermuda

  • Paintings in collections in UK, USA, UAE, France, Portugal, Canada,  Bermuda, Morocco, Mexico, India.

  • Grumbacher Watercolor Awards 

    Watercolor West Juried Show Award 

    Pittsburgh Water Color Society Award 

    San Diego Watercolor Society Award 

    Artis Gallery Award Naples Florida 

    North West Watercolor Society Award  

    Philadelphia Watercolor Society Award 

    West Texas Watercolor Society Award  

    Southern California Art Association Awards

  • Louisiana Technical University

    The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts London UK

    Gemmology Associations UK & Canada

    Master Gemologist Appraiser GIA USA

    GIA Jewelry Designer, Silversmith, Pearl and Diamond Certification

“As a painter I am intrigued by mystery and colour, I see this as a passionate language.”

- Melanie Francis

Sylvia Hayward, Georgia USA

“Moth motifs and semi-precious stones strategically placed in paintings on ancient paper salvaged from crumbling temples in India. Islamic script beneath sacred geometry detailed out in gold leaf and jewel tones, brush strokes delicate and precise. Poetry and screen printed silks besides uniquely crafted jewelry and fine details bring to life a new understanding of intersectionality. My view of the genius of Melanie Francis’s art.”