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Mel Williamson – The Quiet Power of Edges (Online)
Learn to trust your eyes and portray what they actually see (or don’t)!
Date recorded: Sunday, November 23, 2025
Attention to edges can elevate your portraits to a higher level. In this chat and live demo, Mel will explore the balance between soft and hard edges. Watch as she lets some transitions dissolve while sharpening others. Learn to trust your eyes and portray what they actually see (or don’t)!
Supplies: Ivory Black, Yellow Ochre, Titanium White oil paint (but acrylic would work too) on canvas paper
Recordings will be posted within 24 hours after an event.
If you enjoy this presentation or make work inspired by it, please leave a comment below the recording.
Mel Williamson – The Quiet Power of Edges (Online)
Attention to edges can elevate your portraits to a higher level. In this chat and live demo, Mel will explore the balance between soft and hard edges. Watch as she lets some transitions dissolve while sharpening others. Learn to trust your eyes and portray what they actually see (or don’t)!
Supplies: Ivory Black, Yellow Ochre, Titanium White oil paint (but acrylic would work too) on canvas paper
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Attention to edges can elevate your portraits to a higher level. In this chat and live demo, Mel will explore the balance between soft and hard edges. Watch as she lets some transitions dissolve while sharpening others. Learn to trust your eyes and portray what they actually see (or don’t)!
Mel Williamson lives and paints on Salt Spring Island, BC, where she creates work in a variety of genres, including the human figure, landscape and still life. Her work has been described as “impressionistic, fresh and honest” and has a unique expressive quality, through bravura brushwork.
Known as a kind, generous and open teacher, Mel shares her knowledge and practices with others in an encouraging manner. She teaches online and in-person in Vancouver and Italy. She loves oil paint in all of its materiality and possibility, and believes there are no mistakes, only progress.
Mel is represented by three galleries in Canada: on Salt Spring Island and Sidney, BC and in Toronto, ON.
2 Responses
Thanks Mel and Martha . Loved watching your loose gutsy approach !
Xx Mary
Thank you for speaking your thought process. You painted life into that angel. I know of some beautiful old angel statues I’d like to paint now.