Melanie Mascarenhas

As an artist, I aim to bring to life my chance encounters with wildlife, through direct observation & my connection with the subject in its environment.

 

Most of the wildlife subjects I observe and draw are the ones that get overlooked or are less noticeable. The location itself may be quite busy, such as at the side of the road, or along a busy footpath; the wildlife is in plain sight, but I have to stop, watch and wait in order to really see it.

 

Field sketches, which may just be a few scribbles, are the starting point for my studio work. They are a record of my first impressions and capture some of the energy and vitality of the experience, which I try to convey in a finished piece.

 

I like to use a variety of media and what I select to work with largely depends upon the subject matter and the overall effect I want to achieve. Recently I have been looking at different ways of capturing the essence of those fleeting encounters, sometimes abandoning brushes for reeds, twigs and bamboo and paint for charcoal, ink and tea. I have also found lithography a great aid in helping me to make a permanent record of what I have seen and felt, without being too obsessed with all the fine detail.

My challenge is to stay faithful to the experience and find new ways of expressing this in a dynamic rather than static way.