Melanie Mascarenhas
Melanie’s practice is informed by a love of direct, considered, observational fieldwork, which is always the starting point for her art.
Her work takes inspiration from the wild, often unloved hidden gems of an urban environment as well as the land, sea and coastline of north Wales, Scotland and beyond. Melanie uses a mixed media approach, working in layers of colour and textures to create expressive field paintings and drawings that capture the essence of her firsthand wildlife encounters.
Initially from a science background, Melanie is particularly interested in the interconnection between organisms and their fragile ecosystems. She expresses this through the interplay of colour, movement and sound drawing, creating a visual representation of the rhythm and energy of the places, the wildlife and experiences that inspire her.
Paintings are completed in the field or developed back in the studio, where initial energetic marks, ideas and impressions act as a springboard for further development. Often this is explored through hand-burnished, multi layered lithographs and monotypes, which form a tactile link with the spirit of her fieldwork.
Melanie has exhibited and sold through juried submissions, galleries & open studios. She has also been a finalist in several international wildlife competitions, including The David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year.
Melanie is an elected Associate member of the Society of Wildlife Artists and regularly has work in their annual ‘The Natural Eye’ exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London.
 | | |
|---|---|---|
|