Opening
times: Tue-Fri 12-5pm; Sat & Sun 11am -4pm;
Closed
Monday
After developing a love of painting buildings and street scenes as a student of Falmouth School of
Art Melissa Sturgeon has continued to represent this theme in her work. FAÇADE is her first major solo
exhibition and features scenes of doorways and atmospheric street corners, capturing figures and
architecture together in a splendid display of colour and detail.
Melissa Sturgeon was born in Harrow, North London, where she lived until the age of 18. Melissa
moved to Oxfordshire after winning a Scholarship to attend Sibford School, one of the few Quaker
Schools in the country. Melissa went on to study at The North Oxfordshire School of Art and Design,
and on to Falmouth School of Art in Cornwall, where she studied Illustration.
During her time at Falmouth, Melissa was inspired by the town’s buoyant colours and forms, that led
her to a great love for painting buildings and street scenes. This interest flourished after spending
time in Paris, where she was enchanted by the cities Artisan quarter, Montmartre, and has since
produced many works based on her travels abroad.
Melissa works in Acrylic medium on stretched box canvas, enjoying the immediacy of Acrylic, as well
as the layering effects that can be achieved using impasto gels.
Melissa has always believed that her paintings should not be too complex, “Life is complicated
enough, I just want people to enjoy the view, as I did! I like to think that people can escape inside
my paintings, peer around the many corners and doorways. The inclusion of the figurative element
to my work, not only provides a narrative for the scene, but also allows the viewer to make a
connection with them, and be a part of the storytelling. Art is a very personal journey for both the
maker and the viewer alike, and that journey can come in any form, which is what I love so much
about what I do.”
Melissa has recently been invited to join Bentley Publishing Group of Walnut Creek, California, and
her work will be available to purchase as open-edition prints by Bentley’s member company
Rinehart Fine Arts of New York. Melissa’s work can also be found as Fine Art greetings cards by The
Medici Society of London.
|
