At various times in her life, Margaret Melancon has heard the inner voice of her father encouragingly say, “There’s no such thing as can’t.” So at age 42, when a friend invited her to take an art class, she didn’t think twice. One lesson turned into another, and for a year she learned the basics of charcoals, pen and ink, oils and pastels. Eight years later, after returning to New Iberia, she expanded her portfolio to include watercolors.

While she had quietly been a photographer for 17 years, seeing a piece of her art hang in public for the first time, at City Hall in Lafayette, was a different kind of satisfaction. “I was excited and I said to myself, ‘Maybe I need to keep doing this,’” she remembers. It also gave the New Iberia native the confidence to start showing her photography and entering it in competitions, earning her 30 ribbons over the span of some 21 years. Among her most notables are a picture of a New Orleans band, which won the sweepstakes in the photography exhibit at the 2018 Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, and a photo of an old Cajun woman smiling, which placed in the festival’s 2019 “Best of Show” in Photography.

She would quickly realize that her photography skills proved to be a bridge to her painting, having taught her the importance of composition.

Now 30 years into her art, Melancon continues to refine her techniques in oils and watercolor, her mediums of choice, and is enjoying the camaraderie of the New Iberia and Lafayette art scenes where her paintings (and photography) have been on display.

This past January and February, 30 of her paintings and photos were shown at Lafayette’s Vermilionville, where she is curator of art exhibits. Her photos can be seen at the New Iberia Tourist Center and on note cards sold at Shadows-on-the-Teche.

Many of Melancon’s paintings are done freehand, and she also has the benefit of taking her own photographs and modifying them with watercolors. While the unexpected results of watercolor are what have attracted (and discouraged) many artists to this medium, Melancon likes its soft look and that it dries fast and doesn’t smell as strong as oil paint. “You can correct some things to a point,” she says to the argument that there’s no room for errors. “I also sometimes use water-based oils to achieve the look of watercolor with more control.”

In a crafts room of her home, partial paintings are sprawled out on an oversized table and the radio is playing in the background. “The work comes in spurts,” she says, explaining her process. “When I start something, I have to finish it. And sometimes I’ll work on two or three paintings at a time.” She adds, “I like to work in the afternoon when I have more time, and the light comes through the window allowing me to see the colors on the paper better.”

A member of the national and state garden clubs and chairperson of this year’s flower show in New Iberia, Melancon is inspired by nature. She painted in the first plein air (outdoor) competition in New Iberia and in two subsequent events. Talking about the influences on her work, she says, “I love flowers and nature – but I also like to paint buildings. I’m working on a watercolor of someone’s home right now.” The artist also gets inspiration from traveling. “Whenever we go on a trip, I visit a gallery or museum to get ideas, and then I come back and change some things. I seldom paint from someone else’s picture and, if I do, I use my own interpretation.” For example, she recalls, “There was an exhibit at the Water Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, MS that gave me an idea for a painting of a pelican in multi colors.”

A fan of impressionistic art, Melancon admires the French painter Claude Monet and painted her own version of his Japanese Bridge using 21 different colors. She also follows the work of local watercolorists like that of Church Point artist Ann ella Joubert.

In her artistic adventures, the retired administrative assistant has experimented with other mediums, including encaustic (or hot wax) painting, mosaics and alcohol inks on ceramic tile. With 15 awards to look back on, she still takes occasional painting workshops to learn different skill sets.

Her journey of self-discovery through painting also became one of healing when she was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. “I’m not one to dwell on it,” she says of her illness. “During my 15 chemotherapy and 20 radiation treatments, I just kept moving and didn’t let it dominate my life. Seeing the art of others and participating in art shows — as much as I could — encouraged me.”

A member of The Lafayette Art Association for six years, Melancon has also belonged to L’Acadian Art Guild for nearly two decades and is this year’s chairperson.

She has come a long way since being the teen who would scour the newspapers for notices of art classes and spend hours drawing an old jeep that belonged to her father.

Some say life begins at 60. Others say it begins at the end of your comfort zone. Melancon says her life began again at 42. “You’ll never feel old if you learn new things,” she says. “That’s why I try a lot of things. Keep learning. It’ll keep your mind functioning and keep you young.”

For information on her showings, search “Margaret Melancon” on Facebook.