Battersea Redevelopment
photopolymer print 22.5 x 16 cm
£145
Battersea Redevelopment
photopolymer print 22.5 x 16 cm
£145
US EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION-SCAPE
etching & aquatint 
£520
US EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION-SCAPE
etching & aquatint
£520
THE SHARD
photopolymer print  42.5 x 28 cm
 £285
THE SHARD
photopolymer print 42.5 x 28 cm
£285
Westminster Abbey, North Door
photopolymer print  28 x 20 cm
£185
Westminster Abbey, North Door
photopolymer print 28 x 20 cm
£185
PALACE OF WESTMINSTER
photopolymer print 14.5 x 21 cm
£220
PALACE OF WESTMINSTER
photopolymer print 14.5 x 21 cm
£220
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
etching & aquatint  24 x 16.5 cm
£165
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
etching & aquatint 24 x 16.5 cm
£165
In Transit
etching 37.5 x 280 cm
£225
In Transit
etching 37.5 x 280 cm
£225
HEADING NORTH
etching & aquatint 21 x 29 cm
£225
HEADING NORTH
etching & aquatint 21 x 29 cm
£225
OVERHEAD CONVEYORS
etching & aquatint  29.5 x 21 cm
£215
OVERHEAD CONVEYORS
etching & aquatint 29.5 x 21 cm
£215

MELANIE BELLIS

My work is inspired by urban scenes and landscapes, from large scale construction sites to the neglected, deserted and derelict.  In my cityscapes I feature large buildings, I’m drawn by their presence and scale and the way they dominate their environment.  I work from observation, drawing on site.  The underlying theme in my work is change and the way we constantly develop our surroundings.  I’m interested in capturing the mood and character of a place at a specific moment in time, freezing a scene before it’s gone.  I find buildings under construction visually dynamic, and enjoy capturing the patterns and lines created by the scaffolding and cranes that weave frameworks around them, supporting the structure as it develops inside. 

 

My work has distinct stages, my drawn response to the subject when it’s in front of me, and the way it’s transformed through the etching process.  The process of etching is central to my work, there’s an elemental quality to it, the act of using acid to etch into metal, deepening the image and bringing power to my mark-making.  I work on the etching plate in many stages using a range of techniques that build the image in layers.  Through the process of etching I can develop my drawings and achieve intense line and tonal contrast.  The final image has a sense of impact presence and place. 

 

My work has been exhibited across the UK and Internationally, including twice being selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.  My work is held in a number of collections including: the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; V&A Museum, London; British Museum, London; and the collection of Her Majesty the Queen.

Recent exhibitions include:

 

2018 Royal West of England Academy, 166 Open Exhibition, Bristol

2018 ING Discerning Eye, Mall Gallery, London

2018 Nanjing Yangtze Art Fair, China

2018 Impact 10, Santander, Spain

2018 Solo Show ‘City’, RK Burt Gallery, London

2018 London Original Print Fair, Royal Academy, London

2018 Columbia Threadneedle Prize exhibition, Mall Gallery, London

2018 - 2018 New Light Art Competition, Bowes Museum, Huddersfield Art Gallery, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery

2017 Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London

2017 Jiangsu Dialogue, Bankside Gallery, London

2017 Limited Editions, Gallery@Oxo, Oxo Tower, London

2017 Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London

2016 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London

2016 The Original Print Show curated by Norman Ackroyd CBE, RA, RE, Zillah Bell, Thirsk