Art mixes up media

Melissa Bentley will exhibit her artwork, which layers textiles and paint, for the next two months at Wills Domain Winery.

Bentley mixes acrylic paint with vintage fabric and patterned paper sourced from around the world.

Gallery manager Jasmine McMahon said she was enthusiastic about Bentley’s first solo exhibition.

“The gallery has represented her artwork over the past couple of years and it has been well received,” she said.

Ms McMahon said the use of intricate mixed media on square-metre canvas resulted in uniquely textured art.

“It’s quite decorative work which captivates your interest and draws you in, the more you look at it the more you see,” she said.

Perth-based Bentley first studied graphic design and advertising before she worked as a decorator and furniture merchandiser.

A three-year stint as flight attendant in the late 1990s moved her away from working in the arts but she returned by painting private commissions and directly supplying interior decorators in Sydney.

Ms McMahon said it had always been Bentley’s passion to explore her creativity through the arts.

Embracing inspiration from all directions, Bentley likes to examine connections between her imagination, nature, art and the environment.

Her works are contemporary, decorative and visually pleasing to the eye.

She is not shy of using bold vibrant colours.

There is a feminine aspect to her artwork but her use of black brushwork toughens the image and allows them to appeal to both sexes.

Bentley is a lover of the ocean and beach lifestyle and this is reflected in her artworks.

A fascination for paisley-styled patterns and intricate design is evident somewhere in each artwork. Bentley will be at the Wills Domain Winery gallery tomorrow afternoon to open her exhibition, which runs until the end of August.

Melissa Bentley’s work features acrylic paint, vintage fabric, paper and other mixed media.