Biography of Melody Hawtin B.A.Hons

Melody Art

Melody Hawtin formed Melody Art in 2003, already an established artist Melody felt the time and the technology and opportunity was right to set up her own website and gallery to represent her work.  Today Melody Art continues and includes photographer husband David.

Moving to Porlock in Exmoor National Park brought Melody back to her roots and her inspiration.  Inspired by the colours of Exmoor, the combined coastal and landscape location and the wildlife, Melody continues to paint and sometimes teach in her large studio in The Old Tannery.

2020

8th March Melody will be appearing on BBC Countryfile as part of International Women’s Day.  This is a very exciting opportunity to represent Exmoor, specifically the walk from Bossington Village to Hurlstone Point, from an artistic perspective.  This is an area Melody has known and walked all her life and is part of the countryside she looks out on from her home in Porlock.  She has many paintings inspired by the views of the hills and from the hills.  As part of the programme she will be making sketches and creating a landscape painting from the sketches when she returns to her studio.

2019

June 25th to August 25th – Major solo exhibition in Northern Ireland at The Oriel Gallery in Clotworthy House and part of Antrim Castle Gardens in their new space which is stunning, having  had over 5 million pounds spent on it. It’s a wonderful opportunity presented by a casual glimpse in my gallery window by the curator while on holiday in Exmoor.  I hope to  present my spiritual journey as a retrospective with work I created when I was 17 to the current day. I’ll also be including my poetry which is  very much part of my romantic, Expressionistic  art style.

Oriel Gallery Solo Exhibition
Antrim Castle Oriel Gallery Solo Exhibition by Melody

2018

Melody Art Gallery, Porlock.

Working on private commissions.

2017.

Melody Art Gallery  Exmoor.

Represented by Artifact New York.

‘World Editions’.

Art in America Annual guide.

The Salt House Gallery St Ives Cornwall.

2016.

Represented by Art Artifact New York.

The Salt House Gallery with The Salt House Collective.

2015.

Working with Exmoor Arts in various galleries on Exmoor.

Parallax Art Fair Chelsea London.

2013

In July Melody had her second overseas exhibition with Agora Gallery in New York.  This continues to be an exciting part of the year and we are very pleased to be working with this gallery.

Galleria 360 Florence – Christmas Expo

2012

April saw us shipping paintings to New York for Melody’s first overseas exhibition with Agora Gallery in New York.  Very exciting and quite a learning curve, crates to have made and lots of paperwork, but finally quite straightforward, a very successful exhibition for Melody.

Over the Christmas and new year period Melody exhibited with Galleria 360 in Florence, one of our favourite places and so exciting to be exhibiting in this lovely city.

2011

Working with the Porlock Art Festival to introduce fine art to the programme, the theme of the exhibition will be ‘Italy meets Exmoor’ and is inspired by the juxtaposition of the two areas, Exmoor being a rugged yet beautiful land and seascape created by God for man and Italy being a beautiful place with architecture and art created by man for God.

2010

Opened High Street Gallery in Porlock within Exmoor National Park, showing work exclusively by myself and photographs by my husband David Hawtin.  It is our future intention to offer guest exhibitions.

Studio and second gallery for larger original paintings in The Old Tannery, Porlock.  I am also offering small group art workshops from here.

Work regularly available from:

Bell Fine Art. Winchester. UK

The Frame, Odiham. Hampshire. UK

2009

Melody Art – The Malt House Studio and Gallery – Commercial Solo studio outlet…. Alresford, near Winchester. UK.

The Malt House – Host for ‘The Watercress Festival’, featuring Poet Jemima Thackeray and Pure Vision photographers and craft makers.

The Malt House – Teaching Weekly and Monthly Art Workshops for all ages.

Middle Brook Centre Winchester …Founder member of …

‘Pure Vision’ an Exhibition and Art Café space created in an Art Deco building sponsored by Winchester Family Church – For artists from Southampton University and local area. Hosting talks by artists, authors, painters and craft makers.  Engaging a wide section from the community; learning to paint, make and write.  This was offered free and held weekly.

Bell Fine Art. (Ongoing representation.)

Alresford  Art Society, workshop and talk on Composition, Colour and Content and Character.

Member of the Fine Art Trade Guild.

2008

Melody Art Commercial Art/ Studio.  The Malt House,  Alresford,  near Winchester UK. Host of Exhibition by Stephen Paul Clark.

The Middle Brook Centre Winchester. UK – Pure Vision Art Café ..as above.

2007

Melody Art. Commercial studio outlet. The Malt House, Alresford , Nr Winchester.

Bell Fine Art, Winchester. UK

The Middle Brook Centre, Winchester, UK.

Making Merry and Hampshire Artist, Open Studio events.

2006

St Johns House, Winchester (in aid of Cancer Research)

Middle Brook Centre Winchester … Curator of ‘the Pure Vision Art Exhibition’… Over 50 amateur and professional artists, from Japan and U.K.

Bell Fine Art. Winchester. UK

The Slug and Lettuce Restaurant- Godalming.

The Watercress Festival Alresford. UK

Exhibiting with The Art Collection Southampton.

Open Studio Events.

2005

Exhibition at Peter Symonds College – Winchester UK.

Hampshire Artists – Open Studios

Making Merry – Open Studios. Winchester

The Watercress Festival – Alresford.

St Swithuns School – Winchester, charity event for ‘The Soroptomists’. UK.

Tiger Tiger – Manchester. With The Art Collection. UK

The Slug and Lettuce – Winchester.

Bell Fine Art – Winchester.

The Malt House – Commercial/Studio.

Exhibition at ‘The Somerset Guild of Craftsman’, gallery – Dunster. Exmoor. UK

2004

Bell Fine Art – Winchester.

Avington House. Charity event for the Pinder Centre

The Candover Gallery – Alresford. UK.

St Swithuns School – Winchester.

Open Studio Events – Hampshire Artists and Making Merry.

Sir Harold Hillier Arboretum – Solo Exhibition. near Romsey UK.

Tarr Farm Hotel. near Dulverton – Exmoor UK.

The Old Fire Station Gallery – Alresford.

Alresford Library.

Solo Exhibition Charity event – To finance the sending of ladies living in India to learn Hairdressing.  Marshwiggle Lodge. Alresford. UK.

2003

Marshwiggle Lodge. Solo Charity Exhibition In aid of Care Confidential. Alresford. UK.

1997-2003

Working part time for Bell Fine Art. Winchester….Married raising 4 step children.

1997 – 1993

Studio Art/ Art History. B.A. Hons from Winchester School of Art. UK.

1993-1981

Working In Brighton UK.

1975 – 1978

Assistant to Minehead / London Photographer. David Frier.

Schools…West Somerset Community College. Minehead. Somerset. UK.

Born 1961.  Red Hill.  Surrey UK.