Melanie Fain
Melanie Fain lives in the Texas Hill Country on seven wooded acres. In this beautiful landscape, she is inspired by the wildlife she sees every day. Melanie offers her patrons an intimate view of the natural world, with emphasis on birds, botanicals, and insects. She translates her sensitive perceptions into elegant, watercolors and hand-colored etchings, which find broad appeal among naturalists and sportsmen alike.
Melanie designs her compositions using the 'less is more' philosophy of her mentor, Thomas Quinn, giving her work an Asian feel. This beautiful simplicity has invited the description, 'visual haiku', a compliment she treasures. Since beginning her art career in 1982, Melanie's work has garnered top awards throughout the United States. Her work has also juried into prestigious national and international competitions.
Artist's Statement
My life’s interest has always been the natural world and activities involved with nature. My youth was spent exploring the various landscapes in which I lived, becoming familiar with the inhabitants, and gathering information to be used in my art. Some of my earliest memories include a preoccupation with drawing, painting, and sculpting the world I love. I suppose it should come as no surprise that my art mirrors what I hold so dear in my heart.
Ideas for paintings and etchings usually take form as an ‘inner vision’, coming suddenly into my mind's eye from observations I make while walking in nature, or when I am fully absorbed in outdoor activity. I commit the idea to memory, or make a quick sketch to remind me of the original vision. I am an avid photographer and love to photography birds, plants, insects, and landscapes. These images are used as reference material and also serve to stimulate additional ideas for future pieces.
My goal is to capture the essence of how I feel about a particular subject and share that emotional bond with my viewers. To achieve this, I limit myself to painting and drawing what I know and love. I want to convey to the world the beauty of the spider as well as the butterfly. I hope you enjoy my art. It is my life's pleasure to bring the natural world to you.
