About Me

Hello my friend! I am so honoured that you want to get to know more about me. 

Who am I?

My name is Melanie. I was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia by my two dedicated immigrant parents. By day, I practice as an occupational therapist working to facilitate purpose and function in those living with permanent disabilities. By night, I operate Stonker Studio from the spare bedroom in my house. 

Who else is there?

While Stonker Studio operates largely as a one-woman team, I would like to give credit where credit is due. My partner in crime Chris, has done me a solid by supporting me and providing feedback for all of my launches. He is also behind many of the best-selling ideas- my creative director in many ways! Additionally, an honorary mention goes to Chris' furry companion Sabo, who has become one of my favourite characters to draw and therefore a huge source of inspiration. Mrs Pham (mum) is also responsible for most of the dispatching so bless her cotton socks. (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

Special thanks goes to my mate Jono for helping me refine the website.

What made you start Stonker Studio?

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we Australians were forced into a hard lockdown for a good portion of 2020 and 2021. Despite studying biomedical sciences and working in allied health, I have always had the desperate need to express myself creatively. So in late 2020, I decided to pick up the cheapest tablet I could find (Wacom Intuos Small), slapped some Youtube tutorials, and went to town learning how to create digital art. I was inspired by other creators to just try my best, so I did. ´･ᴗ･`

Where might we be in 5 years?

I would love to expand my catalogue to include art prints, tote bags, car decals, enamel pins, greeting cards, and printables. I hope in the next five years, my income through Stonker Studio will be stable enough for me to reduce my full-time work hours by 1-2 days so that I can dedicate more time into creating new and better content.