Melissa Launay

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Mural at Hill House Norfolk

In the last week of February I went to Norfolk to a beautiful and grand luxury holiday house that sleeps 13 guests. They combine all of the luxury of a boutique hotel with all of the convenience of a self catering holiday house.

I was invited to stay on my own in this huge house but I dragged my boyfriend and a lovely friend to keep me company while I was painting a mural for one of their many many rooms.

Their long term idea is to have several murals around the house and in the gardens.

My first commission for Hill House was to be a mural for their games room, a space full of entertainment and games but no natural light as it is on the lower floor of the house and within a converted garage.

Completely free to do as I pleased I decided to paint some windows to open up the space for viewers to look outdoors into an imaginary landscape inspired by the gardens and trees of the area.

I will be painting more murals for Hill House during the summer.

Hope you like it!

To visit Hill House Norfolk or for more information please click HERE.

Mural at The Evelyn Grace academy for Kids Company

Mural at the Evelyn Grace academy. Acrylic on wall, 5 x 2.5 meters.

I did this mural one day in February, commissioned by Kids Company for The Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton, London.
The building has been listed for it's beautiful architecture by Zaha Hadid.
The mural is situated in the corridor opposite the music room, where the children will be practicing their music and singing.
Because of the nature and the simplicity of the buildings lines they wanted something simple, a stencil cut out style of image to go with the feel of the Academy.
I was given a small selection of colours to choose from and decided to do a very simple flat green tree to go against the purple background of the wall. I then added some electrical wires where some orange silhouettes of birds are resting on with some music notes.
Though quite plain and simple, you can still see my style coming through the shapes of the branches and the birds.

Hope you like it!

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Three new small paintings!

Only last week we had our private view at The Framers Gallery in central London.

LOST WORLDS exhibition is still on till this saturday the 25th when we will be taking the paintings down! If you are around, don't miss it!

Showing works by Hannah Battershell, Rosalind Richards, Rebecca Merry, Belinda Syme and Melissa Launay.

FAMILY TREE. Gouache and collage on paper. 24 x 24 cm. © Melissa Launay 2012

TREE OF SWEETS. Gouache and collage on paper. 24 x 24 cm. © Melissa Launay 2012

THE AFTERLIFE DRAGONFLY.Gouache and collage on paper. 14 x 14 cm.
© Melissa Launay 2012

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

My Mama Earth

I am very please to introduce my first illustrated Children's Book " My Mama Earth" published by Barefoot Books and written by Susan B. Katz.
It will be launched at the Bologna Book Fair this coming March, for more details click HERE and in all the books shops by the 1st of April 2012!!
If you are interested in owning your own copy, you can pre order HERE.

Hope you enjoy it!

My Mama Earth illustration process

My Mama Earth
Published by Barefoot Books. Written by Susan B. Katz and illustrated by me!
In book shops 1st of April 2012

I would like to share with you some sketches, developed images and final illustrations that made this book possible.

Here are some original roughs and ideas that I came up to illustrate the words of Susan Katz manuscript and that Barefoot liked me to develop into finished illustrations.

Thursday, 26 January 2012

A little sailor told me....

Hi all,
I would like to share with you all A LITTLE SAILOR TOLD ME.... a BLOG full of anecdotes of my father, Drew Launay, who, until now, has told me little of what he was up to during the fifty years before I was born. Author, playwright, humorist and broadcaster, he writes under his real name, André Launay, but also Drew Launay, Andrew Laurance and Drew Lamark.
To view please click HERE
Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!