Melissa Sandy Australian, Yinjabarni, b. 1977

Melissa Sandy was born in Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in 1977 andhas lived in Roebourne ever since."I started painting late in 2006. At first it was something todo to pass thetime because I thought I had no artistictalent at all. A couple of paintings later Irealised I did have my own style of painting. Painting helps me in so many ways. It helps me torelax, makes me feel more confident about myself and I have found that my art is a great wayto express myself. I am so grateful to be able to paint. When any of my paintings are sold itmakes me very happy to be able to make someone else happy. Please enjoy my work.Knowing that someone else is benefiting from my art makes it all worthwhile."Melissa Sandy has had no formal training but shows a natural flair for design and dot painting.She is meticulous about her choice of colours, spending a lot oftime mixing her paints toachieve the right colours to complement each other. Her work has proven to be very popular.It is hard for her to get a body of work together as they are often sold before her work isfinished. The stories that go with her paintings express the landand the plants from hercountry and the stories told by her elders. Melissa's work is highly individual and easilyrecognisable,and she is constantly working on new methods of expression.