Melanie Mascarenhas ASWLA

Statement

Melanie is based in south London and her 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. 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, having studied Biological Sciences and Education at Cambridge University, 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 the 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 was elected an Associate member of the Society of Wildlife Artists in 2023. She was awarded the John Busby Seabird Drawing Bursary in 2019 and exhibited field paintings in a group exhibition at the Donald Watson SOC Gallery, Aberlady in 2021. She has also been a finalist in several international wildlife competitions.