Melanie McDonald - Cornish Artist
A glimpse of my world ....
I've drawn and painted all my life and I've been painting professionally for the past 10 years. I was born in London and moved to Newquay, Cornwall when I was eight. I studied painting at Falmouth College of Art and printing before that, receiving B.A. Honours in both. I recently moved to Brittany, France with my Scottish husband and daughter, Skye. My paintings are influenced by the Celtic lands of Cornwall, Brittany and Scotland.
Morning routine I always have a cup of tea in bed around 8 o'clock before I briefly catch up with the news on the Internet. Once our daughter has gone to school, we walk our dog. At the moment we walk in the forest but we are moving to the coast so that we can walk on the beach. After a mug of fresh coffee, I head for my art studio where I paint until about 4 p.m..
Childhood ambition Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be an artist. At my school in Newquay, Cornwall, we were very lucky because we had 4 art teachers. A group of us competed for the best marks and most of us went to Falmouth College of Art.
My studio Our home, in Brittany, used to be a hotel and it's rumoured that the artist Paul Gauguin stayed here and painted a painting in the loft. When I'm stuck for ideas, I think about Gauguin painting in the same room.
Favourite painting A painting by the artist, Patrick Heron (1920 - 1999) who lived near St. Ives in Cornwall. I saw a fantastic exhibition by Patrick Heron at Tate Britain, London in 1998, just before he died. I love his 'garden paintings' inspired by his Cornish garden near St. Ives, Cornwall (Azalea Garden pictured).
On my wall A painting I made of my daughter when she was a baby. I became pregnant during my first year of my painting degree course and it reminds me of that time.
Treasured possessions My blog is a treasure because it is my diary and photograph album www.gauguinsloft.blogspot.com It's a place I go to to think, plan and reflect. I would also be lost without my sketch books (pictured), which are a constant reference point for my paintings.
Favourite artists Having spent most of my life in Cornwall, I love paintings by many Cornish artists including Kurt Jackson, Sir Terry Frost, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Winifred Nicholson. My taste in art is broad - my first love is painting, but I also love print-making, photography and sculpture.
Favourite restaurant I love the 'Salt Water Bistro' in Polzeath, Cornwall (pictured), for the amazing food (Steve Pitt - the chef also cooks for the Tate Modern in London) and fabulous view of Polzeath Beach. I'm working on a series of 'Surfer Paintings' for an exhibition there in the spring/summer.
Most played albums I play music all the time when I'm in my studio. In the morning I play Antony and the Johnsons, Rufus Wainwright, Radiohead, Joni Mitchell or Damien Rice. I liven things up in the afternoon with Faithless, Bjork or P.J. Harvey.
Bedside reading This year I read my husband's ear battered copy of 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' - it's full of his old notes for 'A' levels. I loved it, the descriptions of the landscapes are so painterly. I also try and read biographies of artists and recently read 'Picasso' by Norman Mailer.
Pets We have a dog, who appears in a lot of my paintings, alongside my husband and daughter (pictured in a painting of Porth Beach, Newquay). I love putting people and dogs in my paintings of the various beaches we walk on in Cornwall. Our dog's just had puppies and we're planning to keep two - so more dogs will soon be making an appearance in my paintings.
Evening routine I've been reading some children's classics with my daughter - 'Mary Poppins', 'Peter Pan', 'Harry Potter' - at the moment it's the French classic, 'The Little Prince'. There always seems to be so much to do, but we try and switch the computers off at 9 p.m. and watch a bit of French T.V. to improve our French (and have a laugh).