Above: Melanie’s ‘Autumn Splendour’ public art commission, bridge 79b, Buckinghamshire on the Grand Union Canal.
On completing her Degree in textiles/surface decoration in 1993, Melanie was offered a full time studio position designing and painting wall coverings and furnishings by hand.
In 2000 the artist wanted to share her skills to support others, and so she taught vulnerable adults various art activities including textiles and clay sculpting, a role she loved!
She began mosaic in 2005 when she became a new mum, and quickly saw her work published, including a whole chapter of her creation of a 3D clay and mosaicked starfish. The artist fell in love with the array of mosaic materials and in particular the longevity of this art form and the beautiful colours she could use in her pieces.
2014 saw Melanie offered an unconditional space on a major public art mosaic in Santiago with 60 international artists, who together completed a 200 metre collaborative mosaic. Together they embellished the Puente Alto town hall depicting flora and fauna.
Melanie received a television commission to create a stunning sunflower floor mosaic for the popular ‘Love Your Garden’ production, for which a wonderful Woburn family were touched.
Public art commissions include a well loved mosaic created from Melanie’s observations of local heritage, including a beautiful barn owl in flight, ‘Autumn Splendour’ (2016), sited on the Gyosei arts trail on the Grand Union Canal (bridge79b), Bucks.
Another popular piece is a two metre free standing mosaic of a striking peacock butterfly, pollinating (2018), on the Rocla arts trail, Milton Keynes which she set into a stunning steel frame the artist designed specifically for the site.
‘Emblazoned’ peacock butterfly on buddleia, Roccla art trail, Milton Keynes. Mosaic and frame: Copyright Melanie Watts
Melanie recently completed a kingfisher public art piece for a canal charity, (October 2022), and she has a new commission for an artstrail, depicting a large dragonfly.
In progress: She is excited win a large commission to create a beautiful one of a kind public art mosaic for Gibbs Crescent in Oxford, to celebrate the amazing life of Olive Gibbs and the beautiful local heritage that Olive and so many others enjoyed.
