Meli Axford is a painter who lives in Northern NSW. Meli Axford loves colour and space, she leverages them constantly in her work, which reimagines the Australian landscape with her family in it. Her pool sereis radiates a deliberate sense of calm and optimism that we are ready for whatever happens. Axford was born in Brisbane in 1969. Meli studied classical oil painting with Ben Smith for 4 years. Her oil paintings are inspired by her childhood in alarge, loving family and her own experiences as a mother. Conflict was forever present in her childhood,but it was outweighed by love. She uses negative space in her work to represent this balancing act . Meli has exhibited in Northern NSW. She was a finalist in the Sunshine Coast Art Prize 2022, Wollumbin Art Award 2022 and the Bryon Art Prize in 2020, 2021 and 2022.