Watercolour portrait by Sheila Melbye

Works in pursuit of the mood of a fading light, the weight of an unspoken feeling. Loose, searching, emotionally present.

About

I am a self-taught Singaporean mixed medium artist, of Norwegian and Chinese heritage. Art came to me as a form of release. An alt to my process-driven, systems-oriented world I had inhabited for years in the corporate sphere.

“Sometimes you witness a beautiful sunset and the photograph doesn’t quite capture it — the mood, the warmth, the feeling of being there. That is what I am trying to hold on paper.”

I work primarily in watercolour and oil pastel, drawn to their looseness — the way water moves colour before you can stop it, the way pastel builds warmth layer by layer. My subjects are still forming. I am still learning, and I welcome that.

There is something I find honest about the unfinished, like a mark that admits it was made by a human hand, in a particular moment, feeling a particular thing. In that openness, I hope the work can meet a viewer where they are, and resonate in a way that feels personal and true.

@sheilamelbye on Instagram
Commissions

Study

$120

Open
  • Around A4 size
  • Single subject or composition
  • 3–4 week turnaround
  • Digital proof before shipping
  • Flat pack delivery
Reserve a slot

Centrepiece

$450

Waitlist
  • Around A2 size
  • Subject or landscape
  • 6–8 week turnaround
  • One revision included
  • Rolled in tube for delivery
Join the waitlist
How it works: Click a tier above to go straight to the payment page. After payment I will be in touch within 48 hours with a brief intake form so I can understand what you are hoping for. All work is signed and photographed before it leaves my hands.

Shipping: I ship from Singapore via tracked courier. International shipping is available — rates quoted at enquiry.