The Spiritual Journey of a West Country Artist

Introducing an Exmoor Red Stag painting by Melody Hawtin

by

A Father’s Love a Red Stag painting

A Father’s Love is a painting of an Exmoor National Park Red Stag. These are the largest wild animals in Britain. These majestic animals roam freely in the hills just a short walk from where we live in Porlock.

The painting Melody is introducing is a Giclee print on canvas that she has enhanced with oil paint. The frame is a float frame in black with gold edge. The painting is available on our website, please follow this link to view.

We are just a week away from Easter Sunday and it seems an appropriate time for Melody to describe her painting and her thinking behind the painting.

Melody studied Art and Art History at Winchester School of Art. It is her love of Art History that permeates all of her paintings. On this occasion she is able to combine this with her love for her Christian faith in Jesus.

The talk is quite unscripted and unrehearsed and we are aware of a few mistakes. We felt in the interest of the spontaneity and flow that we would not redo the video. We hope you can agree that you are more likely to find a herd of deer than a flock and that the other mistakes just give us something to smile at.

You can find out more about Exmoor by following the link to the Exmoor National Park site. But, we both agree this is one of the least discovered gems in England. Exmoor has a beautiful coast and lovely landscape and is an ideal inspiration for an artist or photographer.

Melody hopes you enjoy her talk.

24ct Gold Leaf to Enhance your Original Painting

by

Applying 24ct Gold Leaf to an original painting or giclee print. In this video Melody is working on “Crossing The Channel With Angels”, this is a giclee print that she previously finished with oil paint and is now adding the gold leaf as per the original. These are brilliant techniques to take a giclee print to a new dimension. Follow this link to view the previous video where Melody painted over the giclee print with oil paint.

During the video Melody will be talking about her paintings and how she applies the gold leaf. Melody often uses gold leaf on her paintings and will describe how this is relevant to her work.

Applying the gold leaf

When is a Giclee print not a Giclee print

by

Today we join Melody as she hand paints a Giclee print on canvas

Welcome to Melody’s studio. Today Melody is hand finishing a Giclee print on canvas with oil paint. Please look out for our next vlog when Melody will be describing how she applies 24ct gold leaf to this painting. Today we join Melody, as a fly on the wall, we get to see how and where she works. Whether an original painting or, in this case a Giclee print on canvas, Melody works with her music in the background, and surrounded by her paints and many paintings. We hope you enjoy these videos and find them interesting and informative.

Join Melody in her studio

About Melody’s studio

Melody’s studio is in the centre of Porlock a working village in Exmoor National Park. We found the studio in an old Tannery, as you can see it has high ceilings and is much bigger than you can see here. Melody has many paintings on the walls, some in progress and some still wet, the smell of the oil adding to the atmosphere.

The studio is open most Saturday’s or by appointment. It is quite an experience visiting the studio.

The journey to Porlock brings you into Exmoor National Park, as you approach you can get a sense of what Melody paints and her inspiration. Exmoor is set on the coast overlooking the Bristol Channel towards Wales. Here the National Park merges with the sea, making this a unique setting for an artist.

We believe that this unique setting with it’s clear unpolluted air gives a special quality to the light. We know that artists in Cornwall, especially St Ives, talk about the light. Here on Exmoor we find a similar light, but perhaps a bit softer. Combined with the rich colours of the landscape, the gorse, heather and bracken, we find a richer spectrum of colours. Both Melody and husband David are inspired by these colours and are privileged to work here and to capture this in their work.

To see some of Melody’s work please view her paintings on this site, but Melody has more work in progress and much does not appear online.

To view more of Exmoor National Park please view the website.

Melody almost always paints with her Christian music in the background, this is the case with this video. We have not added a sound track and hope this is not a problem to the artists. Music: Mighty to Save by Hillsong; From the Inside Out by Hillsong; Here I am To Worship by Maranatha Praise Band, thank you for your inspiration.

Melody Art Gallery Summer Exhibition

by

Summer 2021 at Melody Art Gallery will feature paintings by Melody, photography by David. Also featuring guitar music by Simon who will be playing on Saturdays during the summer. Melody will be painting in her studio which will also be open, her studio is close by to the gallery.

The gallery is situated in Porlock, a lovely working village in the heart of Exmoor National Park. This is a beautifully inspirational place for an artist and a lovely holiday destination. Exmoor National Park has abundant wildlife, is one of the only parks that extends down to the sea and is at the start of the South West Coast Path.

The gallery will be open on Saturdays and at other times we are available to meet you or by appointment in our studio / gallery. We can be contacted via email. Melody paints a variety of subjects which you can view on our website. We have many original paintings some of which are on the website and are added as time permits. We also offer Giclée prints on paper or canvas of many of Melody’s paintings. All pictures can be shipped within mainland UK at not cost, other locations are charged at cost price.

We do look forward to welcoming you to Porlock and hope that the paintings and photographs give you a glimpse of this stunning location.

St Dunstan’s choristers with wartime songs part 2- Melody

by

More songs by these blind war veterans are available at the bottom of this page.

During the early 1980’s  while  working  at St Dunstan’s Ovingdean I wrote this poem.

St Dunstan’s is a Joy,
Heaven sent, to be sure,
A helping hand to secure.

The stories are many,
Their pain very real,
Yet shining with intensity,
Is their courage,
Their Zeal.

Some days may seem bleak,
This is surely so,
Their eyes see a distant life,
Of long ago.

They feel old limbs,
Once fresh and young,
While agile minds,
See humour carrying them along.

Their brave fight-the battle is won.

During my time at St Dunstan’s I was deeply moved by the bravery of those I cared for.  Every day was a challenge yet humour really did carry them along.

One memory I’ll share today was my dancing lessons with Elmer Richards..

Elmer was blinded in the First World War, he had, I remember really soft hands and a beautiful almost porcelain  complexion, with a warm  gentle humorous face.  Elmer liked to dance at the tea dances held in the afternoons.   I’d never learnt to Waltz so watched on.

I remember one day while walking along the promenade from The Brighton Pier to Ovingdean, a walk Elmer liked to do whenever he could.  Elmer decided to teach me to dance, there and then –   he couldn’t see the folk watching as they passed by. I remember laughing as he took hold of me and swirled me into a waltz. Elmer taught me, one two three, one two three, back, to one side then forward, something like that.

Elmer Richards St Dunstans warblind veteran with Melody
Elmer Richards St Dunstans warblind veteran with Melody

On most of our walks along the prom  Elmer  would dance.  I expect people got used to seeing a man with a white stick and hat swirling around a young lady. I remember the day I danced at my first tea dance, in my uniform.  One St Dunstener I remember remarked,” where did you learn to dance? your quite good”.

Elmer also taught me to play bowls which he loved, a great way to spend a rainy day. I remember he brought me a pair of white Daps  in Woolworths. as I’d  said in passing that the walking was wearing out my shoes. Elmer had never heard plimsoles called  Daps. It’s a Somerset saying!

Elmer  loved it when I told him how smart he looked in his  white bowls uniform which he wore for his matches.  Dear Elmer, what a lovely old  friend he was.

>If you would like to donate to St Dunstan’s please follow this link to – Blind Veterans UK where you will find a DONATE  button at the top of the page.

St Dunstan’s choristers with wartime songs – Melody

by

One of my most treasured possessions is a tape made for me by my dear friend Harry Wheeler with his friends  35 years ago while working at St Dunstan’s – now Blind Veterans uk.  Harry served in the First World War he loved to sing to me and tell me tales of his time in the trenches.

If you would like to donate to St Dunstan’s please follow this link to – Blind Veterans UK where you will find a DONATE  button at the top of the page.

To commemorate 100 years since peace was proclaimed, it seems the right time to share  these songs to honour his and other precious friends service.  I  hope through my memoirs  with St Dunstan’s will also  give  the opportunity for donations.

When I was twenty two my mother, Marie lead a team of 25  looking after the day to day care of the residents of Pearson House.  At the time I was a beauty consultant for Mary Quant, however, in my spare time I enjoyed spending time with the blind folk.  When a full time position came up I applied,  it seems I was  the youngest care assistant ever to be employed.

Being a care assistant  was the best experience of my life, I loved  the first and Second World War veterans, and the young soldiers blinded more recently, their brave humour was always inspirational.

On my first day I was asked for the Braille mirror!!  I was told to go to the information desk to ask for it.. Laughter rang all  around at my  naivety … My first day also involved talking to a blind young soldier.  A face grey and  blue from gunpowder, and wounds where his eyes had been. I think he liked having me to talk to as he was only 19. When I escorted him out to Brighton Pier I remember describing some pretty lace, he brought his Mum a hanky and kindly gave me one too.  I also remember how fiercely he clutched my arm as I walked.  Harry a First World War veteran and other veterans would walk confidently simply holding my elbow gently.

Harry Wheeler, and the other older veterans would  help the newly blind with humour and gentleness. The men all held my hand I remember, for comfort.

I’ve many stories I should love to share to accompany these songs, 55 in total but not all here at this time, starting with songs from the Boer War through the First World War and up to The Second World War

I will be eternally grateful to the men and women who gave me so much for our freedom.