I’m Melanie Cormack-Hicks – a fine artist based in the beautiful Cotswolds.

I have always had a passion for art and with a fine art painting degree from Cheltenham under my belt, I decided to become an art teacher to prove that everyone can enjoy art – it’s about creativity, not ability.

I was still working as an art teacher when I rediscovered my own artist’s voice, while painting on a Devon beach one summer.

Surrounded by ink-splattered pebbles, I realised I longed to create evocative artwork that mirrored the raw energy I felt in the landscape – but the fantasy felt a million miles from the reality of teaching GCSE art!

Returning to my studio at home, I began experimenting, taking risks and exploring materials. I discovered the joy of throwing ink and paint at a surface or squirting on water and letting the inks bleed. I quickly realised this experimentation was part of a process that allows each painting to find its own strength, its own voice, and its own energy.

I continued to listen to the voice inside my head that encouraged me to pursue my dream, and in 2017 I walked away from the school I’d called home for 20 years and stepped into my new role of artist.

I can barely believe how much my life has changed since then!

Today, I create paintings of the landscapes I love – from magical English woodlands to sparkling Scottish rivers and rugged Devon shorelines.

I make sketches on location, paint outdoors, and spend many hours just observing – not only what I see, but also how I feel.

Capturing memories in landscapes and seascapes

 I’m now represented by
‘Marine House at Beer’ in Devon
and
‘The Paragon Gallery’ in Cheltenham