Wandering with my dogs in the early morning I notice the small seasonal shifts; the quiet beauty in the natural commonplace things, rarely celebrated. My paintings are inspired by what I see around me, like the form of a tree, the long lines of twining stems, the intricacies of birds in flight. Often I am reminded of a poem or a piece of music and revisit an idea resonating there. Before the layers of gesso, I draw in charcoal or acrylic and the subsequent gilding or linseed oil shine in contrast. I paint in oil from my photographs, tracing the lines loosely with a fine square ended brush, observing the tonal shifts, building up the complicated patterns of the whole. Using traditional materials, my work draws attention to the fleeting moments and underscores their value.
Melanie grew up in the Lincolnshire fens, spending time in Italy between studying Florentine Renaissance Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London (BA Hons. and MA with distinction). Then followed MA Fine Art (Painting) at the University of Gloucestershire, and a series of residencies including at the Florence Trust, Highbury. She now works from her studio in Cambridgeshire. Over the past 20 years Melanie has exhibited at the Jerwood Space, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, Thompson’s City Gallery, jaggedart, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Kittoe Contemporary, London; Belgrave Gallery, St Ives; The Stratford Gallery, Stratford upon Avon; Gallery 94 at Glyndebourne Opera House; Irving Contemporary, Oxford, and elsewhere. She is represented by Beaux Arts Bath, Cornwall Contemporary, Penzance, and Eastwood Fine Art, Hampshire. Her work is held in collections worldwide including The Dorchester, the Pizzuti Collection, Imago Mundi, Exton Park Vineyard, Fox Linton, Bridgeman Art Library. She was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize (2020) and has featured in the ING Discerning Eye and National Open Art Exhibitions.
