Five minutes. 300 seconds. It doesn’t seem like much time at all, but for a skilled creative like Charlotte artist Melissa Wineman, it’s all the time you need to be brilliant.

Our friends at OrthoCarolina have launched an online scheduling system to help patients make their next appointment in no time flat. And, that inspired us to ask creatives across the Queen City, “What can you make in five minutes or less?”

We threw the gauntlet down at Wineman, and she responded in style. She painted this quick nature scene featuring a cheeky little prairie dog enjoying the flowers of spring — something we’re willing to bet you’re ready for right now.

Watch Wineman’s Five Minute Creation

A 301-Foot, 17-Day Artist Marathon

We knew Melissa Wineman was up for the five-minute challenge. When it comes to the art of painting murals, we think of her of a “creative marathoner.”

Last fall, Wineman, who grew up in Charlotte and graduated from UNC-Charlotte with a B.A. in fine arts, did something she’s wanted to do since she was a kid.

Wineman recalls her mother driving her to Northwest School of the Arts and seeing hateful graffiti painted on a retaining wall along 12th Street under I-277. She thought: One day, I’m going to paint that.

In 2019, the City of Charlotte selected her to paint “Wildflowers on 12th,” a 301-foot mural on that same retaining wall. Over the course of 17 days, she herself painted the entire piece — which features North Carolina, wildflowers and insects. Read more about her experience here.

After an experience like that, painting from sunrise to sunset for two and a half weeks, a five-minute work of art is a piece of cake.

A Few More Paint Strokes with Melissa Wineman

INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

This creative sprint was powered by content sponsor OrthoCarolina. Use their new online appointment system here.