Mel Green came to the finer side of arts recently... He moved from Needham to Gloucester in 2004, a place he finds visually and spiritually inspiring ... and after a long career in graphic design, in which he still makes his living, he took watercolor lessons and found that he had a flair for the medium.

He has been a member of Local Colors since 2006, and as he says: " I am still looking for the one subject that captures my imagination", all the while creating very vibrant, well drawn and colorful paintings, featuring Cape Ann scenes and scenes from photographs taken on his occasional trips around the country. His subjects also include still life, unusual portraits of musicians, and flowers.

Mel was born in South Africa and spent many vacations and his university years in Cape Town, which he says is just as beautiful as Cape Ann. He studied design at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, at the University of Cape Town, and at the Johannesburg School of Art, as well as furthering his studies at New York's School of Visual Arts, the Boston Institute of Art and at the Rockport Art Association.

Visit Local Colors to see his current paintings for sale, and more of his fine art, illustration and design work may be seen on his website, www.melgreendesign.com