Artist Melissa Conroy will debut her latest body of work, “Untangle This” at Savannah’s Roots Up Gallery on May 20th. “Untangle This” is a series of works on paper in watercolor and pen and ink that Conroy refers to as her “daily drawings”. In 2018 Conroy began drawing every day, mining the story of her life in abstract form. She explains, “Every time I sit down to draw, I hope to learn something, to be surprised by the result. I am always disappointed when a drawing looks as I had originally envisioned it. I want these drawings to take me somewhere else.”  The large body of abstract drawings are thought provoking, full of vivid colors, and visually delightful.  The names are all indicative of the deep thoughts Conroy works through while creating these drawings such as “A Big Bundle of Maybes,” I Wanted More,” “I Wish I Understood the Purpose of Memory,” and ”Emotional Baggage.”
 
In addition Conroy’s art practice, she is a Sr. Lecturer at Cornell University in the department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design where she teaches textile design and drawing. Some of the sculptural forms and tangled threads in her drawings allude to a life studying textile structures. She is also a published author and illustrator. Being the daughter of beloved Southern literary titan, Pat Conroy, it is not surprising that Author is on Conroy’s list of accomplishments.  Her books include the picture books Poppy’s Pants , Grandma is an Author, and The Lowcountry Coloring Book, published by Algonquin Books in 2016.
 
Roots Up Gallery could not be a more fitting space for the debut of Conroy’s latest works.  Their tag line is “A World of Soulful Art Borne From Within,” which Conroy’s works clearly are.  The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 412-C Whittaker Street at W. Jones Lane, Savannah, GA 31401.