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Writer and artist Vivek Shraya

Poets Series. 2018

24' x 24' Acrylic on Panel

Executing likeness is a labor of magic. It requires a knowingness and sensitivity that can be tapped into and sourced into an interpretation of another human being. It is a practice that takes a large amount of compassion and care. It is a practice that takes a focussed degree of study—the study of human nature, anatomy, personality. Executing likeness is a practice of divination. Janisse-Barlow's extensive work in portraiture is a studied and measured understanding of all of these components, which she gathers and weaves into flashes of insight. Her work is known for its sparse line work, that can in one brush stroke often capture some of the more illusive components of a likeness.

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Poet Ali Blythe

Poets Series. 2019

10" x 10" Acrylic on Panel

Melanie Janisse-Barlow's rich portraiture work is well known and popular across North America. Her execution of the Poet's Series—a project that created threads of poets choosing each other into the project, was given attention both in Canada and the US. She has painted the portraits of John Sinclair, Claudia Rankine, Christian Bok, Vivek Shraya, Phil Hall, to name a few poets who have participated in the series. Her portraiture work is frequently commissioned and hangs in private and public collections all over the world, including the Jacob Yerex and Salah Bachir collection and the Superior Courts of Canada. Showing an excellent proclivity for likeness, intermixed with a style that is unmistakably her own, Janisse-Barlow's portraits are a one of a kind execution that at once is rendered in a fresh and exciting method of portraiture, but also is embraced in more traditional settings.

Poet Margaret Christakos

Poets Series. 2019

10" x 10" Acrylic on Panel

A portrait by Melanie Janisse-Barlow is an excellent investment in a living artist, who has established herself as a popular and widely known portraitist, which means that your investment in her work is not only a beautiful addition to your collection, but is also a great investment in Canadian art. Bookings can often be six months and up to one year in advance, as the process of painting these special portraits takes time. As soon as you have made a query here, you will be contacted with an estimate for price and time. Please email: melanie.janisse@gmail.com for queries.

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Poet Claudia Rankine

Poets Series. 2019

24'" x 2'4" Acrylic on Panel

The Honourable Edward Ducharme,

Judge of the Superior Court of Canada

2019

Acrylic on Panel

MELANIE JANISSE-BARLOW
paintings and projects

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