Melanie Tomlinson

Inspiration for my range of brooches is taken from Romanian folklore, where butterflies and flowers are a reoccurring theme. Each piece I make has a connection to a story or song that I have heard when in Romania.

I begin by painting intricate designs in my sketch book using gouache and a fine brush.  I then individually hand print my designs onto sheet tinned steel and then cut, fold, press and sew the various layers together. When finished the metal gleams through the surface decoration adding visual depth to each piece.

Melanie trained in illustration at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.  She works from her studio at home in Birmingham and also as an artist in the community. She has won several awards for her work, notably the George Little Management International Marketing Award (awarded at the Chelsea Crafts Fair in London) to visit the New York Gift Fair.  Melanie has several of her pieces of automata in collections in this country and abroad and a recent large-scale piece is on permanent display in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.