In the first of a new series shining a light on homegrown artists, we explore the creativity of Milton Keynes-based artist Melanie Watts...
Name: Melanie Watts Mosaics
Medium worked in: Porcelain, stained glass, Italian smalti and iridescent glass, 3D armatures and cement for mosaicking onto.
What attracted you to your particular mediums: I love bright colour and beautiful materials, and wanted to create public art that is vibrant and robust.
Mosaic answers all of these things!
History: Graduating in 1993 from a BA (Hons) degree in textiles, Melanie was offered a full time studio position creating bespoke hand drawn and painted wallpaper collections and furnishing fabrics for 10 years.
Within this role Melanie created both contemporary and traditional wall coverings and furnishings that were international best sellers, enabling her to develop strong drawing and colour skills which have helped her in her role today as a mosaic artist.
Then she began creating 2 and 3D ceramics and teaching art to young people adults with emotional and physical difficulties.
Melanie was drawn to mosaic after a trip to Morocco where the vibrant Alhambra tiles inspired her to start pursuing ways to enhance walls and floors that ensured longevity, striking colour, and work that could be created on a large scale – something that the public could enjoy for a long time.
She then visited Barcelona and was blown away by Gaudi's Mosaics and architectural masterpieces, and began creating mosaic from her Milton Keynes studio.
Commissions, book publications and beautiful public art installations took off quickly. She has attention to detail and colour, inspired also by nature as well as the decorative arts, in particular art nouveau.
Career highlight: "When a student who had not spoken to anyone for years started to talk in my art lesson - art is incredibly healing in so many ways!
"Also a visually impaired man took great delight using the sense of touch to make out my owl mosaic. It was lovely to see that anybody can enjoy my work because it is so incredibly tactile. Art soothes the soul!
"Another wonderful thing is hearing people come to Milton Keynes specifically to see my work - even some from overseas.
"That's amazing - it makes me feel brilliant that people get joy from what I am doing."
Where can we see your work? "I have two large public art mosaics in Milton Keynes - one sited on the Grand Union Canal in Great Linford of a barn owl and another of a peacock butterfly on buddliea at Red House Park.
"Contact Great Linford Parish for maps as they are sited on beautiful arts trails.
"I have worked in Chile on public art and am invited to India to create next year too.
What inspires your creativity? "Emotions, colour, detail, nature, declining species, stunning variations in light...trying to capture things that really move me emotionally via mosaic is wonderful!
"To me, a mosaic connects thousands of broken pieces into something complete and beautiful. Of course, art for general well being plays a big part too, like many creatives."
For more information check Melanie's site out here or visit her on FB and twitter - search @melaniemosaics
> Do you want to feature your art here? Or do you want to nominate someone? Email us: info@thisistotalmk.co.uk
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