Melanie Jelacic's Portfolio (mejelco)

Work samples

A Study for "Still Life, Yellow and Red"

2025
White clay with glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Zippy

2021
11” H x 12” W x 13” D
Sculpture Clay with Underglaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Raffy (Detail)

2021
5” H x 3 3/4” W x 10 1/4” D
White clay with underglaze and wax finish

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Portrait of Aisling

2026
24" H x 24" x W x1" D
Acrylic on Canvas

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com

About Melanie

Melanie “Mel” Jelacic started her return to art by establishing mejelco, her ceramic studio in 2019. Before this she enjoyed a long career in NYC creating window displays for the biggest fashion houses in the world along with a short stint as a miniature model maker. The pivot to an art career coincided with a move to Maryland and finally setting up residence in Baltimore, where years ago she had received a Bachelor of Arts in Sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her main… more

View Melanie's Resume

Bonnard

Bonnard, a new ceramic series is based on paintings and drawings of a basket Pierre Bonnard represented in his artwork over the course of three decades. Bonnard never painted from life. He studied his objects and subjects then went into the studio to paint his thoughts of what he saw and not a direct observation. By recreating his painted basket in the round, I take the representation of Bonnard’s thoughts of the basket and make an object of our combined thoughts through my hands.

Women with Basket of Fruit

2025
12 1/2” H x 13” W x 16” D
White Clay with underglaze and glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Women with Basket of Fruit (Side View)

2025
12 1/2” H x 13” W x 16” D
White Clay with Glaze

Available for Purchase

se contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Study for "Still Life, Yellow and Red"

2025
8 1/4" H x 9 1/2" W x 6" D
White ceramic with glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Study for "Still Life, Yellow and Red"

2025
8 1/4" H x 9 1/2" W x 6" D
White clay with glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com

Beloved

Love is an investment that goes beyond ease and aesthetics. These sculptures are portraits of people’s “Velveteen Rabbit.” This series celebrates the symbolic, sentimental value of objects that have no other worth. It explores the ties between people and the material world, the transference of memory and emotions onto objects and the comfort they provide. For our love of this world goes beyond what has a beating heart.

“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” – The Velveteen Rabbit

Angry Lamb

2019
4“ H x 11“ W x 14“ D
White Clay with Underglaze and Acrylic

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Angry Lamb (Detail)

2019
4“ H x 11“ W x 14“ D

White Clay with Underglaze and Acrylic

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Zippy

2021
11” H x 12” W x 13” D
Sculpture Clay with Underglaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Zippy (Back View)

2021
11” H x 12” W x 13” D
Sculpture Clay with Underglaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Raffy

2021
5” H x 3 3/4” W x 10 1/4” D
White clay with underglaze and wax finish.

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Raffy (Detail)

2021
5” H x 3 3/4” W x 10 1/4” D
White clay with underglaze and wax finish

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Kelsey's Puppy

3 3/4” H x 6 1/2” W x 11” D
White clay with underglaze and tea staining.

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Kelsey's Puppy (Detail View)

2021
3 3/4” H x 6 1/2” W x 11” D
White clay with underglaze and tea staining

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Raggedy Andy

2022
12 1/2” H x 13” W x 16” D
Speckled Clay with underglaze and yarn
Raggedy Andy (Heart Detail)

2022
12 1/2” H x 13” W x 16” D
Speckled Clay with underglaze and yarn

Flowerhead Portraits

These are painting studies for the beginning of this year’s series of paintings, mobiles and sculptures, called, Flowerhead. Following the lineage of Superflat, these square portraits are character and visual language development for larger fantasy world building. The paintings are inspired by earlier ceramic work, creating circular dialogue between disciplines.

Portrait of Celeste

2026
24" H x 24" x W x1" D
Acrylic on Canvas

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Flower Candlesticks

2022
7" h x 3 3/4" Dia
White clay with glaze
Portrait of Winkee

2026
20" H x 20" W x 1" D
Acrylic on Canvas

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Flowerhead Emblem

2026
24" H x 24" W x 1" D
Acrylic

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Yin Yang Flower Bowl set of 3

2025
3/4" H x 3 1/4" Dia
White Clay with underglaze and glaze
Portrait of Oompa

2026
20" H x 20" W x 1" D
Acrylic on Canvas

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Portrait of Aisling

2026
24" H x 24" x W x1" D
Acrylic on Canvas

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Flowerhead Scatter

2026
20" H x 20" W x 1" D
Acrylic on Canvas

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Selection of Daisy Ornaments

2022
Sizes: Large 2.5”H x 3” W x .25” D Small 2” H x 1.75” W x .25” D
White clay with glaze with hanging ribbon

Everyday Objects

I find comfort in the simplicity of functional forms that have mastered their purpose; their general design refined through years of utility. Stripping away excess, I uncover the beauty inherent in straightforward forms. My creations pay homage to these perfected structures, and I use this framework as a jumping point off in my own creativity.

Kitchen Sink

8 3/8" H x 6 1/2" W x 6 1/2" L
1 1/2" opening
White Clay with Glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Incense Cube

One side of the cube holds skinny stick incense and the opposite holds small cone incense.
Pinky Red, Speckled White, Sunny Yellow, Runny White, Textured Grey or Metallic Green
2022
1 3/8”W x 1 3/8” L x 1 3/8” H
Speckled clay with glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Squat Vase

2025
4 1/2" H x 9" Dia
White Clay with singular glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Spoons

2025
5 3/4" H x 1 1/4" W x 1/3"D (sizes vary)
Speckled clay with glaze.

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Fertility Vase

2025
4" H x 4 1/2" Dia
Speckled clay with glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Polka-dot Candlesticks

2021
8" H x 4" Dia
White Clay with Glaze

Available for Purchase
Oil Slick Vase

2025
5 1/4" H x 4 1/2" Dia
White clay with glaze
Bookends

2019
6 1/2" H x 11" W x 6" D (each)
Clay with glazes with felted bottom

Not So Everyday Objects

When you look at these objects they appear to have no purpose or look like other things adding unexpected humor and whimsy.

Ashtray

2025
2" H x 7" W x 9" L
Speckled clay with underglazes and glazes

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Bee Bath

This bee bath mimics an orange amanita mushroom in full bloom.
2025
6" H x 1 1/2" Dia (sizes vary slightly)
White clay with glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Chess

2022
King - King Trumpet (2.5” H x 1”), Queen - Amanita 2.25” H x Dia 2.25”, Bishop - Magic Mushroom (2.5" H x 3/4" Dia), Knight - Grey Knight Mushroom (1.25”H x 1.5” Dia) , Rook - Morel (2” H x 1” Dia), Pawn - Cremini (1” H x 1” Dia)
White clay with glazes in found box and velevt bags
Red Amanita Mushroom (ornament)

2022
2.25” H x Dia 2.25” (sizes vary)
White clay with glaze

Available for Purchase

Please contact artist at [email protected] or at mejelco.com
Chopstick Rest (protoype)

2025
3/4" H x 5" W x 3/4" D (sizes vary)
Polymer Clay

Available for Purchase

Coming 2026!