(Melanie Meulenberg-Ansems – Mellisea Creations)

The Magical Menagerie of Mellisea Creations

by Pam North

It would seem an impossible task to choose just one from the captivating array of whimsical wonders inhabiting the Mellisea Creations zoo; an armload would be a more likely order. Melanie Meulenberg-Ansems is the talented artist and soft-sculpture wizard behind these myriad adorable critters, each with its own quirky quintessence and unique heart-stealing appeal. Her delightful animals encompass an enormous range of animals, birds, and other species of fantasy personalities. Her unlimited imagination is astounding, and an animal lover is putty in her hands as far as wanting to adopt any and every one.
She has been a multiple-award-winning, self-taught artist for 10 years now, and at 37 years old, she lives in the most southern part of the Netherlands with her husband, Roger, and their young basset hound, Sofie.
Melanie’s current career is a major departure from her last as an occupational therapist for 10 years, but it came about as a result of her trying unsuccessfully to combine her work and her hobby; her work often was so exhausting that she was not up to sewing on her days off. Inevitably her artistry could not be denied, and it ultimately became her paramount focus.
It began in 2009 when she made her first dog handbag from her original pattern, and she was hooked. “I loved it!” she exclaimed. “As I started sewing more dog handbags, however, I soon discovered that the sewing machine and I are not great friends; I always struggle with it. I prefer sewing by hand as I have more control over the stitches and can use a strong thread.” Her first soft-sculpture effort came soon after, a tiger called Toby, completely sewn by hand. Since then, many more winsome creatures have been born as wonderful caricature animals with a sweet silliness and slightly human expressions in their faces. She skillfully incorporates many materials together in her work (faux fur, mohair, fabrics, felting wool, polymer clay, steel shot, wire, synthetic fillings, and doll eyes), using several techniques including needle-felting, and some of her creations are jointed. All are handmade and one-of-a-kind, made with lots of love and attention to detail, and all come with a tag and a certificate.
Melanie has no formal training in her craft, not even workshops, so she is entirely self taught. She simply works out a concept until she is pleased with the results. The inevitable challenges that come from that approach she handles as she embraces the process itself. “I always try to make something that stands out and reflects my own unique style, and to attempt something interesting that I haven’t made before. I love making all kinds of animals.”
“Messy” is how she describes her workplace, with the explanation that when she and her husband bought their house she had wanted a separate room in which to work and store all her stuff, a departure from previously having to create at their kitchen table. Ironically, now that she has that work space of her own, with bins for all her fabrics and materials, she somehow still prefers working at the kitchen table or in the living room, making a big mess as her dog snores to the accompaniment of music playing in the background.
Inspiration comes to her from many venues: television, movies, art books, and animation from Disney, Pixar. and other such studios. She derives great satisfaction from her work, saying “I love it when my creations make people smile. That’s why I like doing the shows, when somebody finds exactly what  they have been looking for, right there on my table. It’s the expressions on their faces, as they carefully pick up my creations and fall in love with them; it’s that grumpy face that turns to a to smile after seeing my work. I love that!” In addition to shows in Europe, Melanie also sells on Facebook, Bear Pile, and recently via Tedsby.
Teaching workshops has not been in her scope so far. “I love having my own style and I prefer not to share it with others because then it might not be unique anymore. It might sound selfish, but since there are so many new and good soft-sculpture artists, it always is a challenge to stand out , and I hope that my style does not get copied.”
Melanie’s view of the future for her craft is optimistic. “I think bear-making is getting more detailed and interesting, and more popular. There are many bear-making artists now, and it will be hard to keep up with them. The internet is helpful in getting us exposure internationally.” She intends to pursue her craft, saying, “I hope to be able to do this work for many more years, and that people will keep on loving my creations. As for what’s next, perhaps new international shows and competing to win more awards?”

Contact Information:
Name: Melanie Meulenberg-Ansems
Business Name: Mellisea Creations
Address: Vijverstraat 16, 6443 XM Brunssum, The Netherlands
Telephone: 0031-6-25389537
Email: mellisea.creations@gmail.com
Websites: http://melliseacreations.bearpile.com
https://mellisea.creations.tedsby.com
https://www.facebook.com/mellisea.creations