Tuesday 5 October 2010

Exhibiting at THE NORTON WAY GALLERY

Exhibiting five new pieces at THE NORTON WAY GALLERY

To view them visit THE NORTON WAY GALLERY

51 Norton Way North,
Letchworth Garden City
Hertfordshire
SG6 1BH
United Kingdom

Or visit their website HERE




Thursday 30 September 2010

I am exhibiting NEW works at THE PALACE ART FAIR

Exhibiting new pieces with FOURWALLS Contemporary art gallery at THE PALACE ART FAIR


7th - 10 October 2010

The Palace Art Fair takes place at Fulham Palace
Bishop's Avenue
London, SW6 6EA


The team behind Brighton art team is pleased to announce a brand new art event in the Capital The Palace Art Fair to be held at Fulham Palace, London.

The Palace Art Fair will build on what people like most about the successful Brighton Art Fair, in terms of quality, size and friendliness but transferred to a beautiful new venue, and attracting a new audience.
We believe that there is a need for a high quality art event in London which provides a smaller scale more intimate show in contrast to some of London’s vast art events. Like Brighton, The Palace Art Fair will showcase just over 100 contemporary artists across all media who will exhibit and sell their work direct to the public. This keeps the atmosphere informal; intimate and provides a wonderful environment for first time art buyers or for collectors to seek out up and coming artists.
A beautiful cafe in the Georgian wing of the palace with an outside terrace provides an area to relax and contemplate potential purchases whilst enjoying great seasonal food and drink.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Exhibiting at the ENID LAWSON GALLERY

I have three paintings exhibiting at the Enid Lawson Gallery from today!
For more information please visit their website HERE.

ENID LAWSON GALLERY
11 New Cavendish Street
London W1G 9UD

Sunday 12 September 2010

Selected for IMAGES 34




Selected for IMAGES 34

The Best of British Contemporary Illustration 2010

Exhibition Opening this week.

8th September – 14th September 2010
London College of Communication, Elephant & Castle
Opening times: 10 - 5pm weekdays, 10 – 4pm, Saturdays, closed Sundays
Admission free

I had my KAREN O "RIDING IN THE WOODS" selected this year for the exhibition and both 'RIDING IN THE WOODS" and "THE GATHERING" (the mural) selected in IMAGES 34 the BOOK.

The AOI's Images is the premier and longest running jury-selected illustration annual and touring exhibition in the UK. It provides the leading showcase for the huge variety of contemporary illustration commissioned in the UK today, published alongside self initiated promotional artwork and up-and-coming new talent.



Monday 5 July 2010

LOST LAND-LA TIERRA PROMETIDA


LOST LAND-LA TIERRA PROMETIDA
Acrylic-gouache on paper
80 x 110 cm. © Melissa Launay 2010

LOST LAND-LA TIERRA PROMETIDA is my latest painting.
Created in the month of June,it was commission to me by another London based private collector.
This time the brief was very ample,a fresh uplifting landscape.
Lately I seem to be looking at a lot of Naive Art and having Henri Rousseau as one of my favorite artists I couldn't help but get inspired by his landscapes.
The painting is 80 x 110 cm big, painted with acrylic and gouache on Khadi Indian handmade paper.
Hope you enjoy!!



Monday 3 May 2010

A day at my studio!!

Spend "A day with me...." at Rohini's wonderful blog, The beat my heart skipped.
Click HERE to view some pictures of my house-studio and learn a bit more about my work!! :)

Wednesday 21 April 2010

SPRING window dressing




SPRING window painting!
Every season I am asked to paint freely on Shepherds Southampton branch windows.
Last week I did these flowers and leaves to represent Spring.

SHEPHERDS
Bookbinding,
stationers and fine paper merchants
76 Southampton Row
London WC1B 4AR


THE KISS


THE KISS is my most recent painting.
Created during the month of March, it was commission to me by a London based private collector. The painting is to be a gift for a newly wedded couple.
I haven't painted figures for a while now, so when LOVE was suggested as a starting point I immediately thought of Marc Chagall's Art and his amorous floating couples, witch for me these, represent that essential,dreamy uplifting sense of bliss in the early stages of love.
And that's the feeling I wanted to achieve with this painting. I wanted to create a peaceful isolated timeless place where there is only room for the warmth of a secure ever lasting love.
This feeling had to be framed with a tropical storm, the rain in my thinking adds to their sensuality, freshness and the growth of the general mood.

THE KISS
Acrylic on paper 65 x 50 cm
© Melissa Launay 2010

KLIMT
Klimt is another essential source of inspiration for me when it comes to sensuality,luxury and wealth.


MARC CHAGALL
I absolutely love this painting,it is so romantic.


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New Paintings

These paintings were created during the months of January-February 2010.You can view more on my website: www.melissalaunay.com.
I exhibited them in the Conservatory,south London (see image of space below) with Hannah Battershell this last February.
We came across the theme "To all the hidden creatures" because we both have this tendency to be attracted to the undiscovered little specimens that live out there somewhere in the deepest of forests.
I recently discovered one of these very unusual humminfish bird flying in my garden and couldn't help myself to illustrate it eating from an exotic flower.My backgrounds these days, are very influenced by Indian art,specially the royal paintings of Jodhpur (The Bristish Museum exhibited many of these royal paintings last summer in an exhibition titled Landscape and Cosmos). I have always been attracted to Indian textiles and their rich colors and these little insects and mixed match creatures seem to fly right into them very naturally.
Hope you enjoy!



THE LITTLE BEAST AT PLAY
Gouache on paper 12 x 12 cm
© Melissa Launay 2010

THE FLIGHT OF THE GOLDEN FISH
Gouache on paper 12 x 12 cm
© Melissa Launay 2010

THE FEAST OF THE FLYING FISH
Gouache on paper 12 x 12 cm
© Melissa Launay 2010

THE HIDDEN CREATURES
Gouache on paper 40 x 60 cm
© Melissa Launay 2010

This Painting is now the official image for AESTIVAL,This is non-profit summer festival, with any proceeds going to Barnardo's a charity that helps vulnerable children.It will be held at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk this september 4 and 5th. For more information please click HERE

MIDNIGHT AT FIREFLY FOREST
Gouache on paper 40 x 60 cm
© Melissa Launay 2010

Friday 16 April 2010

To all the hidden creatures

TO ALL THE HIDDEN CREATURES
Is the tittle of a cozy exhibition held at The Conservatory,south London on the 28th February 2010.
Featuring works by Hannah Battershell and me!



Here some images and a little description of HANNAH'S works:

Hannah Battershell is a self taught, London based artist whose work spans from miniature paintings on buttons to collages with Japanese papers. Her interest lies in teasing out the narratives to be found in the overlooked or throwaway items encountered in day to day life. Scraps of paper, matchboxes, pins and buttons become the main focus of each piece, seemingly insignificant objects are bestowed an almost talismanic quality. Her gothic leanings and dark subject matters are always tempered by a silly sense of humour, often lending her work the 'quirky exuberance of a children’s story book'
Hannah's work, to view more please go HERE








THE CONSERVATORY
a beautiful space in south London




I painted on the glass with easily removable white pens (called: Uni Posca) great fun!
Left the empty spaces for the framed paintings. Then hang them with suction hooks attached to the glass.



A cozy exhibition held at The Conservatory,south London on the 28th February 2010.
Featuring works by Hannah Battershell and me!