Working Inside the Abstract with Melissa Borland

Since she was a child, Melissa Borland has had an affinity for the arts, experimenting with pretty much any medium that came her way. During her freshman year at the College of Charleston, she studied figure drawing under adjunct professor Tim Hussey, whose award-winning art and designs have been showcased in Rolling Stone, GQ, The New York Times and Esquire U.K., to name a few. “I would say that class sparked my flame for creating,” she says.

Though Borland’s path took her in a different direction—studying French in La Rochelle, France, teaching elementary students at a Title I school in North Charleston, South Carolina, and training elementary teachers in the building blocks of pedagogy in Burundi, Africa, she found her way back to her passion for creativity.

When Borland returned from living overseas, she had the opportunity to learn from Diane and Eric Vincent, award-winning acrylics painters known for their exquisite attention to detail on a variety of subjects. 

Life then took her on another course when she met her husband Evan and they had two boys. Borland put her art on the back burner so that she could devote more time to her children. During COVID-19, she realized she was ready to get back into her work. After taking a business class for artists, she launched Melissa Borland Artwork because, as she puts it, “I realized that life’s just too short not to go for it.”  

Inspired by her world travels, nature and the beauty of the wild outdoors, Borland specializes in abstracts, florals and landscapes, using her favorite mediums: acrylics and oil pastels. “The objective of my paintings is to mirror the fragility of creation and its purpose to serve humankind by drawing connections between nature, its patterns and the meaningfulness of life itself,” she explains. 

Yet like many new business owners and budding creatives, Borland suffered from imposter syndrome. “I didn’t have a degree in art or business, so what right did I have to start a business?”

To overcome that challenge, she started setting annual milestones for herself. “Every year I set a goal,” she says. “The first year, I built a website and launched my Instagram account. In my second year, I studied local biodiversity so my landscapes would express the invaluable resources and ecosystems the Lowcountry offers. With my background in teaching, that was important to me.” 

For Borland, the wetlands are not just beautiful—they are essential. “They also act as natural sponges that trap precipitation and slowly release it.  This action prevents floods and reduces erosion,” she says. “Coastal wetlands currently provide the United States with $23.2 billion a year in storm protection services. Every day they are a force trying to work for our good. The marshes want to guard us from disasters. But will we let them?”

Borland’s research further led to the creation of her first wetlands collection, which she debuted at the Daniel Island Fine Art Show in 2022. “It was exciting to participate in such a prestigious event so early in my career,” she says.

At the show, Borland’s bright, happy florals popped next to more serious oil paintings of marshland. Nevertheless, imposter syndrome reared its ugly head again. Not one to give in, she told herself, “I pushed it down by thinking, ‘I deserve to be here. No wait, I am here!’”

In her third year, Borland began showing at events such as the Celadon Market, the Park Circle Art Walk and the Daniel Island Holiday Market to see which were the best fit. While schlepping, setting up, and breaking down can be a lot of work, she enjoys interacting with attendees. Another plus is that it helps build support for the local creative community by allowing her to get to know other artists. “When one of us wins, we all win,” she says. 

Now, Borland is exploring the idea of showing her work in galleries. “If I am able to be in one that I really love and we’re a good match, that would be ideal,” she says.

In the few short years since Borland began this new chapter in her career, she has clearly upleveled her definition of success.

From her home studio, Borland has developed a creative process that transcends space and time. “Working in the abstract, with a palette but no plan, I get lost in the moment. I find myself in a stream of consciousness where nothing else matters and the rest of the world doesn’t exist. That’s a big relief for my sanity,” she adds. 

While Borland often paints multiple pieces at once, each one has its own timeline—whether several weeks or months. Currently, she is working on two series. One is of Cypress Gardens, which she started last December. “I wanted to paint that landscape in the Fauvist style because I don’t think anyone else ever has done this,” she explains. The other project is a collection of abstract florals, started in March. She hopes to finish both by the end of the year.

Yet for Borland, rushing is not part of the plan. “In our culture, a lot of value is placed on productivity and getting everything checked off the list. I feel that weight, too, but I’ve learned that one season cannot exist without the prior one. It’s okay to have times in life when there is nothing seemingly happening on the outside. What is seen is not necessarily indicative of what is actually happening on the inside.”

When Borland isn’t creating, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and two boisterous boys, working in her garden, studying native wildlife, learning about other cultures and languages, and reading memoirs. ϒ

To browse Borland’s collections, “Bring Beauty Inside,” “Homage to Autumn,” “Funky Floral Minis,” “Summer Coastals,” “Mix and Match Abstracts,” “Peaceful Palette Coastals,” “Wetlands Collection” and other commissions, visit melissaborlandartwork.com and follow her@melissaborlandartwork.