Artist of the Week: Melody A. Recktenwald, Seattle-based photographer

Melody A. Recktenwald is a Seattle-based artist who primarily works in photography, exploring themes of autism, anxiety and grief.

Seattle Refined: How long have you been creating? What mediums do you work with?
Recktenwald: I've been creating for as long as I can remember — drawing, writing, tinkering — but since my father's passing, photography has really become my main focus and outlet. I'm drawn to photography because it feels so layered and alive: every image is like a fingerprint, unique to how each person sees the world. I love that nobody else will ever see exactly what I see through my lens. It's such an intimate, revealing form of expression, and for me it's the truest way to connect with what's fleeting, beautiful or even unsettling.

Can you tell us about your artistic process and how the different stages work into it?
My process is always quietly unfolding in the background, even when I'm not shooting. I keep a notebook full of scraps — plans, sketches, half-formed ideas — so when inspiration strikes in the middle of something else, I have a whole world of seeds ready to grow. Sometimes my work is very personal, rooted in what I'm feeling or experiencing right then; other times, I just want to play and see where the medium takes me. I shoot pretty intuitively — I like to set little "dates" with my camera, where I spend a day wandering with no goal except to notice things. I'll treat myself to lunch somewhere, then spend the evening editing and shaping what I found. It's part ritual, part exploration, and it keeps me connected to my work in a way that feels alive.

Tell us about where your inspiration for your art comes from.
Much of my inspiration comes from my own experiences with autism and anxiety — how they shape the way I move through the world and notice small, overlooked details. Grief has also been a constant thread in my work, especially in how ordinary places or objects can hold traces of loss. I find inspiration in quiet moments and the tension between comfort and unease.

Do you have a specific "beat" you like best – nature, food, profiles, etc.?
I'm honestly a little obsessed with the food section — I love cooking, trying new dishes, and chasing down unexpected flavor combinations. For me, cooking and photography feel surprisingly connected: they both rely on a foundation of science and technique, but it's the artistic touch that makes them come alive.

Do you have one piece of art that means more to you or is extremely special to you?
One piece that's stayed with me is an image of a red flower I took in Maui. It was part of a larger project where I was trying to process the loss of my father. I normally gravitate toward muted, quiet colors — but this flower is so bold and vivid, yet also delicate and fleeting. It reminds me so much of how he lived his life: strong and bright, but gone too quickly. Every time I look at that photo, it brings me back to the mix of grief and gratitude I felt while making it.

What experiences in your life have affected your art the most?
Being diagnosed as autistic later in life has reshaped so much of how I see my work and myself. It gave me language for things I'd always felt — the constant sense of being on the edge of things, seeing details that others miss, needing to make sense of chaos by arranging it into images. Grief has also deeply marked my work; losing people I love has made me pay attention to absence, traces and the ways we hold onto what's gone.

If we want to see more of your work, where should we go to find it?
You can find my work at www.melodyphotoworks.com and on Instagram at @melodyrecktenwald. I share new pieces and project outtakes, as well as the occasional photo of my two cats, Sam and Maggie.

What is next for you? Anything you're working on right now that you're really excited about?
Right now, I'm deep in a new series that uses a digital camera obscura to re-imagine the fall of the dinosaurs — it's equal parts playful experiment and visual storytelling. It feels good to have a project that lets me step away from heavier personal themes for a moment and just play with light, history, and a little bit of fantasy. I’m really enjoying being in "play mode" and seeing where it leads me next.

Lastly, how do you take your coffee? (We ask everyone!)
I'm actually not a huge coffee drinker. In the fall, when the weather is cool and the skies are dreary, I do sometimes grab a White Velvet from Vivace. It's my small Seattle luxury.

About 'Artist of the Week': This city is packed with artists we love to feature weekly on Seattle Refined! If you have a local artist in mind that you would like to see featured, let us know at hello@seattlerefined.com. And if you're wondering just what constitutes art, that's the beauty of it; it's up to you! See all of our past Artists of the Week in our dedicated section.