Melanie attended the Italia Conti Stage School in London at the age of 7 and trained as an actor, singer and dancer until leaving at 16 to appear in a West End play written by John Mortimer and starring Alec Guinness. Other work continued for the next ten years, including the first West End production of 'The Rocky Horror Show'.

After the birth of her daughter in 1991, she changed career and studied media make-up. She has worked as a make-up artist for 15 years, working for English National Opera, the Royal Opera House, the Theatre Museum and many television and film productions.

Some of her work as a freelance artist is make-up design, teaching in secondary schools and running workshops for the V&A Education department in the new Sackler Centre.

Most recently her creative journey has been the study and practice of photography alongside her painting work. Her work is mainly concerned with personal image and how we transform ourselves, an interest fuelled by make-up work. She likes to have a painterly organic element to her illustrations, also using photography and digital manipulation. Being from a theatrical background, she is drawn to story telling: iIllustration encompasses all her creativity and interests. 

She is currently in her second year studying for an MA in Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts.

www.graffitiduck.co.uk