Melanie Gabbert-Gatchell

Melanie Gabbert-Gatchell grew up on her family’s Century Farm in rural Granite Falls. It is that rural landscape and its history that has always influenced her subject matter whether it is photography or creating alcohol ink art works. Her photography philosophy is what she likes to call “Organic and All Natural” because she does not use filters, effects or programs to alter what nature has already provided. The landscape of Minnesota is filled with unique natural wonders and that is what she focuses her lens upon—capturing the beauty of the simplicity of the everyday that many overlook. When creating works using alcohol inks, for her, it is quite satisfying in creating beautiful pieces that are much like her photography in that the designs are quite simple, but hold a lot of impact in terms of beauty, movement, color and simplicity of subject so that others can slow down and appreciate a moment that might otherwise be overlooked. She explained her “photography and alcohol ink art work, is like the poetry that I also write in that it strives to offer moments of quite appreciation for what we have and oftentimes fail to notice. Images can offer comfort, strength, spirituality, clarity, joy, hope and confidence to face whatever may come next in our individual journeys through this life.