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About Mellissa
I am a ceramic artist, pen & ink illustrator and author. I believe that books are the soul of civilization, and I am at my happiest in the Bushveld, where the wind whispers through ancient branches; or listening to the hushed, swells of the timeless ocean.
I love natural things and spend as much time with my beloveds in the ‘middle of nowhere’ as I can. The solace motivated by the serenity and inevitability of plants is a great inspiration to me, and I am an avid and constant collector of bones, shells, seeds, pods, driftwood, pebbles - whatever nature has cast away.
**Every time I walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs me, so that I find myself shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugee of a long war.** (Loren Eiseley)
I have a deep and abiding respect for the denizens of the deeper realms, especially the Great White Shark, and I am a fierce defender of the rights of these misunderstood and archaic creatures. I am also an avid lover of frogs, intelligent and fascinating beings that they are. Not to forget the darling feline species, as the fabulous W.B. Yeats so aptly says ’the nearest kin of the moon, the creeping cat’. I share my life with two of these mystical, magical beasts - Didius Cattius and Grymalkin.
I am an avid naturalist and dedicated conservationist, and spend as much time as possible in the wilderness, studying the animals, plants and creatures of the earth, and using them in reference to my own art, be it sculptured in clay or rendered in ink.
I strongly believe in the right of all animals to live in peace and without fear, I am a fierce defender of sharks, and watch with dismay as our Rhino, Wild Dog and frog populations decline. I abhor cruelty, of any kind, and hope that within my illustration, viewers catch a glimpse of the character and freedom of the subject - a lazing, agile leopard, a bright-eyed playful otter, or a majestic lordly Fish Eagle. It hardly bears saying - our wildlife must be preserved.
I am also, last but not least, an eternal student of the ancient world. The ancient Near East and Fertile Crescent hold an endless supply of wonder and fascination for me, and I dearly hope to visit these beautiful and timeless places some day.
Price Range
US$ 53-4,450
Email
Exhibitions
Auction of 5 prints to raise funds for wildlife at Kim Wolhuter launch for 'Safari Sisters'
Illustrations sold at Raptor Film Festival to raise awareness for endangered raptors, specifically Vultures and Black Eagle;
Recent A3 illustration of orphaned rhino calf Timbi, sold at a private auction for R86000. All proceeds go towards care and upkeep of Timbi and anti-poaching efforts.
Education
ND Fine Art
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