Melanie Maclou Artworks

  • 2005 - 2025
  • various

Ephemeral

I enjoy creating artworks directly on the land, using gifts that nature offers eg seeds, nuts, pods, sticks, leaves and fallen branches. Working outdoors keeps me connected and present. It reminds me to pay attention, slow down, and work with what’s already there rather than bringing new elements into the landscape.

Ephemeral art feels like a simple exchange of respect. I gather natural materials gently, create something with intention, and leave it behind as a quiet thank-you to Mother Nature. These artworks are temporary by design. They weather, shift, and eventually return to the land.

Art doesn’t always need to be permanent to be powerful. Sometimes the experience, the connection and the act of making are what matter most.

If you feel inspired, gather a few natural treasures and create a nature inspired artwork of your own. Leave it on the land as a quiet surprise for someone else to discover — a tiny reminder that creativity lives everywhere.

2250 x 6000 | Ephemeral ground mural | Kings Park, WA
Created in collaboration with Tania Spencer

Lace Collar is an ephemeral artwork celebrating both Western Australia’s wildflowers and the craft traditions of women. Created for Kings Park in collaboration with textile artist Tania Spencer, the work commemorates the significance of the Women’s Memorial area and honours the Western Australian Fibre and Textiles Association (WAFTA) and its connection to the land.

This large-scale ground mural features the Kangaroo Paw and Geraldton Wax — two iconic Western Australian species found in abundance around the Yorkas Nyinning building. Sprayed using non-toxic, water-based paint on lawn, the collar design is a contemporary nod to the lacework traditionally handmade by women — delicate, detailed, and rich with meaning.

A perfect fusion of botanical beauty and feminine heritage, this project reflects my love of wildflowers, pattern, and ephemerality.

I enjoyed collaborating with Tania on this project and hope we have the chance to create more of these works together.

I am available for ephemeral commissions including works with natural found objects or large-scale ground murals.