SPRING window dressing

SPRING window painting!

Every season I am asked to paint freely on Shepherds Southampton branch windows.

Last week I did these flowers and leaves to represent Spring.

SHEPHERDS

Bookbinding,

stationers and fine paper merchants

76 Southampton Row

London WC1B 4AR

THE KISS

THE KISS is my most recent painting.

Created during the month of March, it was commission to me by a London based private collector. The painting is to be a gift for a newly wedded couple.

I haven't painted figures for a while now, so when LOVE was suggested as a starting point I immediately thought of Marc Chagall's Art and his amorous floating couples, witch for me these, represent that essential,dreamy uplifting sense of bliss in the early stages of love.

And that's the feeling I wanted to achieve with this painting. I wanted to create a peaceful isolated timeless place where there is only room for the warmth of a secure ever lasting love.

This feeling had to be framed with a tropical storm, the rain in my thinking adds to their sensuality, freshness and the growth of the general mood.

THE KISS

Acrylic on paper 65 x 50 cm

© Melissa Launay 2010

KLIMT

Klimt is another essential source of inspiration for me when it comes to sensuality,luxury and wealth.

MARC CHAGALL

I absolutely love this painting,it is so romantic.

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New Paintings

These paintings were created during the months of January-February 2010.You can view more on my website: www.melissalaunay.com.

I exhibited them in the Conservatory,south London (see image of space below) with Hannah Battershell this last February.

We came across the theme "To all the hidden creatures" because we both have this tendency to be attracted to the undiscovered little specimens that live out there somewhere in the deepest of forests.

I recently discovered one of these very unusual humminfish bird flying in my garden and couldn't help myself to illustrate it eating from an exotic flower.My backgrounds these days, are very influenced by Indian art,specially the royal paintings of Jodhpur (The Bristish Museum exhibited many of these royal paintings last summer in an exhibition titled Landscape and Cosmos). I have always been attracted to Indian textiles and their rich colors and these little insects and mixed match creatures seem to fly right into them very naturally.

Hope you enjoy!

THE LITTLE BEAST AT PLAY

Gouache on paper 12 x 12 cm

© Melissa Launay 2010

THE FLIGHT OF THE GOLDEN FISH

Gouache on paper 12 x 12 cm

© Melissa Launay 2010

THE FEAST OF THE FLYING FISH

Gouache on paper 12 x 12 cm

© Melissa Launay 2010

THE HIDDEN CREATURES

Gouache on paper 40 x 60 cm

© Melissa Launay 2010

This Painting is now the official image for AESTIVAL,This is non-profit summer festival, with any proceeds going to Barnardo's a charity that helps vulnerable children.It will be held at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk this september 4 and 5th. For more information please click HERE

MIDNIGHT AT FIREFLY FOREST

Gouache on paper 40 x 60 cm

© Melissa Launay 2010

To all the hidden creatures

TO ALL THE HIDDEN CREATURES

Is the tittle of a cozy exhibition held at The Conservatory,south London on the 28th February 2010.

Featuring works by Hannah Battershell and me!

Here some images and a little description of HANNAH'S works:

Hannah Battershell is a self taught, London based artist whose work spans from miniature paintings on buttons to collages with Japanese papers. Her interest lies in teasing out the narratives to be found in the overlooked or throwaway items encountered in day to day life. Scraps of paper, matchboxes, pins and buttons become the main focus of each piece, seemingly insignificant objects are bestowed an almost talismanic quality. Her gothic leanings and dark subject matters are always tempered by a silly sense of humour, often lending her work the 'quirky exuberance of a children’s story book'

Hannah's work, to view more please go HERE

THE CONSERVATORY

a beautiful space in south London

I painted on the glass with easily removable white pens (called: Uni Posca) great fun!

Left the empty spaces for the framed paintings. Then hang them with suction hooks attached to the glass.

A cozy exhibition held at The Conservatory,south London on the 28th February 2010.

Featuring works by Hannah Battershell and me!