Melanie Grein, Fairhope Fabulous Artist

I met artist Melanie Grein at a First Friday Art Walk in Fairhope while listening to the Leavin’ Brothers entertain at The Book Cellar at Page and Palette. Sitting with some friends, she is a regular there, either with coffee in hand from Latte Da or taking in the music on a Monday night at the Book Cellar. 

After hearing that she was an artist, originally from Birmingham, but had moved two years ago from Colorado to make her home in Fairhope, we decided to meet for coffee on a Tuesday at Latte Da. Melanie is not a newcomer to Fairhope. Her parents, Melinda and Bill Mathews have been coming here for years and own a cabin on the Eastern side of Weeks Bay. Melanie decided to move to Fairhope to be closer to her parents.

She graduated from Mountain Brook High School and attended Auburn University earning her degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in graphic design. She married and moved around quite a bit with her former husband because of his job, including Birmingham, England, Manhattan, Atlanta, Virginia Beach, Albany, NY, and White River Junction, VT.

“I’ve been painting my whole life,” she tells me. “My Meemaw would take me to art lessons once a week when I was little, and my teacher would pick me up from school so I could attend her art classes at Space One Eleven. I counted 33 workshops I’ve taken throughout the years. I love to see how other artists approach their mediums. I knew at an early age I would have an occupation in the art field.” 

“Making your passion work is hard to do unless you have other means of income,” she tells me. Melanie recognized that a graphic design degree was a practical choice for someone who wanted to be in the arts. She has an impressive resume including stints as Art Director for the PGA National Resort and Spa through The Meridian Group in Virginia Beach, VA, and Art Director in the Development Office at Dartmouth College. She also did graphic design work for several advertising agencies and small design firms, including Anna Griffin, national stationery, crafts, and gift design shops and retailers. 

In the 14 years she lived in Colorado before she decided to become a full-time artist, she stumbled into lots of jobs she enjoyed. Working for a marketing company that represented authors who came to Denver for speaking engagements and author signings, she would serve as their host. She would pick them up, show them around the Denver area between engagements, and then return them to the airport when they departed. She met several interesting authors along the way including James Dashner who wrote The Maze Runner. Since Melanie is a delightful, engaging person, the job was a perfect fit.

She was a gardener for Castle Pines Village in Castle Pines, CO, and the Redhawk Golf Course in Castle Rock, CO, worked at a frame shop in Littleton, Colorado (an artist requirement, I believe), and was a gallery manager for evening weddings and events. She also dabbles in securities, so she has many talents. 

The move to Fairhope had an inauspicious start. The moving trailer with all her belongings caught fire before it left the Colorado state line. She lost everything. Fortunately, she was not with the trailer when it caught fire, and her friends driving were not injured, but she arrived in Fairhope with only the clothes on her back.

“The entire community of Fairhope came to my rescue, many of them not even knowing me. A person I didn’t know gave me a chair, playing cards, two lamps, and a bath towel.” Amy Phillippi, a close friend, brought her ten ball gowns. “Amy is a psychologist and is so encouraging. I had no idea that a gown could lift my spirits in such a way. I would sit on my front porch and watch sunsets in a ball gown with a glass of wine.”

Amy invited Melanie to the Maids of Jubilee Mardi Gras Ball. She took one of her gifted dresses to Judy’s Alterations to be hemmed, saw lots of other ball gowns being altered, and asked Judy if she could have some of the scraps. Judy gave her bags and bags of scraps. 

“I was so affected by how Fairhope had embraced me and supported me through this devastation, I decided to create a collage series with acrylic paint and the fabric Judy had given me. I call it Fairhope Fabulous, and it is a series of piers, sailboats, and florals. Pelicans are coming soon! I show them at The Lyons Share in Fairhope.”

After losing everything two years ago. Melanie is close to getting back into her artistic groove. She has almost completed her art studio and I can hear the excitement in her voice. “My studio was previously a woodworking shop behind my house. Very manly. I painted the walls white and am adding some French doors for natural light. I plan to dive back into painting big abstract pieces as soon as it’s done.”

She still shows her work at Walker Fine Art in Denver, which is where the majority of her income comes from. She hopes to get into more galleries throughout the South, targeting Mobile, Pensacola, and Birmingham. 

Designers and art consultants sell her work and have placed her art in law firms, businesses, private residences, and hotels (for example, The Four Seasons Residences in Nashville, and The Ritz Carlton Hotels in Vail and Sarasota). She has also done a lot of commissions. “In the beginning, commissions were scary and stressful, trying to meet expectations. Everybody has an idea of what they want, and it’s very specific.” Commissions don’t stress her out much anymore. “You gain confidence with experience and knowing you can pull it off.”

Melanie says she likes doing large, square format abstracts, 48” x 48” or 36” x 36”. “I like working in a series, starting with a color palette and sketches to keep the series consistent.” She works in acrylics mostly, and some oils. “I’m impatient. I work on several paintings at a time because I don’t want to sit and watch paint dry.”

She’s excited to feel her creative energy flow again. "The fire, the move, and getting back on my feet took a lot out of me, and I’m ready to get in my studio and paint again." She is a multitalented artist and her work is thought-provoking and pleasing.

She thinks that Fairhope and the people here are fantastic. She has been overwhelmed by their support since she arrived. She’s happy to be near her parents and enjoys coming back to her Southern roots. 

What do you like to do in your free time? “I love to dance. Either freestyle dancing with my friends or couples dancing. I enjoy the West Coast Swing, Waltz, Two-Step, and Night Club Two,” she says. And she loves being on the water, which is a major source of inspiration for her. She teased, “I want a guy with a boat!”

We can’t wait to see more of Melanie's work. Follow Melanie on Instagram@fairhopefabulous or Instagram@melanie.grein. And can you teach me to dance?