Melissa Gile is a self-taught artist working out of her home studio located in Hamburg, Germany. Her paintings have been exhibited internationally with PxP Contemporary Art Gallery and Paradigm Gallery + Studio in Philadelphia, ARTMUC Kunstmesse in München, Superfine Art Fair in Seattle, Monopol Gallery in Berlin, and more; with features by Create! Magazine, Visionary Art Collective, Women United ART MAGAZINE, The Curator’s Salon, and more.

In a virtual visit to the studio of the artist Melissa Gile. Melissa Gile’s work is inspired by her journey of finding a sense of home after she left Seattle in 2014 and since then has made more than 15 moves within Europe and the United States. Gile is currently working out of her home studio located in Hamburg, Germany. In this interview with ATH, she shares how she sets up the Studio for the New Year, what a day in her life looks like, to sharing how she overcomes her creative blocks.

1. How are you setting up your studio for the New Year?

I’ve been cleaning, organizing, and ideating for my next series. I just moved into my home studio last June, so I’ve been taking the opportunity to more intentionally shape my space to fit my workflow. For instance, I’ve been bringing wood and other media into my studio practice, and it felt amazing to find a real space in my studio for these tools and materials.

2. What is one ritual or thing that you do at the beginning of the New Year in your studio?

I don’t think of the 1st of January as the beginning of the New Year. This time for me is the winter solstice, which happens usually 1-2 weeks before New Year and marks the darkest day of the year. This time always feels so magical for me, and I love to spend it cleaning and cleansing my space for the new year, as well as praying and meditating. For me, this night is all about giving thanks, doing the best I can to give love, and welcome new ideas.

3. Looking at last year what is the work that you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of my most recent mini-series of larger paintings, specifically the green piece (Aeaea / Circe’s Island, 120cm x 120cm) because the color palette imposes such a wonderful feeling of magic and calm in the room. My ultimate goal is to evoke emotions with my work, and I feel so proud that this piece does this so well. This year you can expect some more of these larger paintings from me!

4. What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?

My studio days are so segmented by nature that I have to split them with other responsibilities like a day job. I am grateful for my home studio for this, which is perfectly suited for short bursts in the studio. In general, I like to begin and end my days with studio time about 2-5 days a week depending on my goals for the season. Kind of like doing regular sports, this routine strengthens my creative muscles and keeps me mentally tuned into my current projects. In the mornings before work, I steal 20-45 minutes to paint while I drink my coffee. In the evenings after dinner, I like to work my way back into the studio by making myself tea and journaling about my day. I find this time to check in with myself grounds me, and provides me with a solid foundation before getting back into the studio.

5. Could you share the studio spaces you work from? Is it your kitchen table or a fancy studio? How has your creative process evolved?

After moving >15 times in my life, 8 of these being transatlantic, I’ve had countless times to reinvent myself and my space. With every move, I slowly started making more space for my art supplies and studio. I originally made art in bed, then moved to the kitchen table, and finally to my own studio. I remember feeling like a queen on Earth when I had my first dedicated painting table and studio space in Manhattan, Kansas. That was in 2020 when COVID hit, and I think this was a pivotal time for me to be able to expand my creative practice, finally having the time and isolation to do so. I feel like every time I made more physical space for my studio, this gave my subconscious the signal that I was finally safe to play and express myself. It has never really been about the size of my studio, but the sense of security and joy I’ve felt in it, which helped me sink into the loose, ethereal style I paint in today. In my current studio in Hamburg, I feel this very strongly because of all of the natural light – it makes it so easy to want to spend time there and just sink into my own dream world.

6. How are you setting up the tone for your studio practice this new year?

For me, it’s really important to be clear on my north stars this time of year. For my studio practice, this means writing down and planning out my next series and doing the groundwork that sets the tone for executing in the next few weeks. Aside from this, I’m just taking time to play, sketch, and create just for myself. I love my studio practice so much, and keeping this kind of play over the holidays makes me feel so healthy and happy.

 7. A favorite book you like to read?

I am tied between “Circe” by Madeline Miller and “The Island of Missing Trees” by Elif Shafak. Both are written with such beautiful vulnerability. Recently I read “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries” by Heather Fawcett which I had trouble putting down!

She hopes to inspire the viewer to pause and get lost in the enchantment of life, momentarily escaping into a dream of their own.

Melissa’s Bio

8. How do you take your studio practice beyond your studio?

I like to go out and take photographs! A lot of these actually become inspiration for color palettes or paintings down the line, and I like that a photograph feels so much “easier” in the sense that it gives me so much instant gratification. I also like to bring a sketchbook, pens, and watercolors with me everywhere I go. Usually, I break these out on the train on my way to Berlin, or in the park on a sunny day.

9. How would you describe the year 2023 for your studio practice?

Breathtaking. This year I found my creative voice, and the paintings just poured out of me, like a river to the ocean. It is the first time that creating feels seamless and natural to me, and that is a very empowering feeling. I’ve been working for years now to make both physical and emotional space for my studio practice, and I am so grateful to see the fruits of this labor bloom like this.

10. How do you overcome a creative block and let the creative juices flow?

Almost always step away and do something else! I’m a firm believer in giving ideas space and time to develop the way they are meant to. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our ideas is to feed them pleasures, like a walk in the park, observing the birds, doing sports, or enjoying our favorite song. I feel like this gives me a fresher perspective and makes me more open to creative flow again.

11. The first piece of art you made while working here in this studio.

Spiorad na Coille (Spirit of the Forest) (acrylic on canvas, 60cm diameter) is the first painting I finished in this studio, and I felt such a strong sense of joy when I finished it. I stayed up way too late finishing it, but I was in such a good flow while also watching Princess Mononoke and other Ghibli films. This piece was inspired by the Scottish Highlands, and I also now can’t unsee Ghibli’s enchanted forests in it either!

Melissa Gile’s Social Media Details