Jacques Mels was self-taught as an artist. At a young age he moved to Curacao, where he became a teacher at a craft school. Back in the Netherlands he worked in Amsterdam, The Hague and Limburg. His oeuvre includes many cityscapes, still lifes and portraits, which he set up in his own, almost expressionistic style. Mels painted many landscapes in Brabant and South Limburg, in which cloudy skies play an important role. He created beautiful landscapes, especially with the watercolor technique, to which the use of many blacks and unusual colours lends an extra drama.