Melissa Burton was living the twenty-something dream. She had relocated from her home of Mildura to Adelaide, was making a name for herself in the corporate world, had great friends, a chic apartment and a buzzing lifestyle. But she chose to give it all away and return to her Mildura roots in search of the calmer, more centred life of an artist. Ashlee Falvo finds out who the lady behind the artwork is, what her inspirations are and whether she found her zen in the Mallee.
Pictures: Carmel Zaccone
I’ve always had a love for art, for as long as I can remember,” Melissa explains.
“In school I was always messing around in the art room, playing around with different techniques and tools. Mildura Senior College really encouraged that creativity in students, which was great.
“But it often happens with people in the creative space, and life got in the way. I wasn’t sure how to actually make a life and career for myself as an artist, so I wound up in Adelaide in the corporate world – and I stayed there for five years.”
Melissa recalls the long, gruelling hours, the draining commute to and from work, and not seeing the sun for days at a time.
“It was killing my creative side,” she says.
“Although the job was good and I worked with awesome people, I knew it wasn’t what I was meant to be doing – it wasn’t what made my soul happy.”
At the end of last year, Melissa said goodbye to the city life and moved home to Mildura, and says she’s never looked back.
“Mildura is home for me, it’s where I am happiest,” she says.
“When I decided to leave my job and the city to pursue art and establish Sweet Gem Creative, I knew I wanted to come home to do that.
“Friends who have come from Adelaide to visit me in Mildura always comment about how much more relaxed and happy I am – I think Mildura does that to people.”
Melissa says Mildura inspires her art in many ways.
“I grew up on the river here, we had a houseboat when I was a kid, so the water is a big inspiration for my art,” she says.
“The lush greenery of Mildura also inspires me, people think Mildura is just red dirt but there’s so much beauty in the nature here and I draw a lot from that beauty for inspiration.”
Melissa says establishing her own business has provided her with freedom.
“I’d never go back to nine to five again,” she says.
“Once you’ve taken that risk and gone out on your own, there’s no going back, well not for me anyway.
“I can create my art the way I want, and people in Mildura have been really supportive of Sweet Gem.”
Melissa, who creates digital graphics, one line drawings, paintings and more, says her love of interior design also sways her artistic style.
“There’s a huge push towards simplicity at the moment, with both interior design and artwork, so that does influence my work,” she says.
“A simple line drawing can have just as much impact as a big bold coloured painting.
“People are appreciating simplicity more nowadays, which I think is beautiful.”
You can find Melissa on Facebook by searching Sweet Gem Creative, or at sweetgemcreative.com.
