Artworks by Melissa Birch

I have a passion for lino print, using handmade Japanese papers and a method of printing by hand using a baren. I produce limited edition prints in my garden studio which celebrate the beauty of everyday flora and fauna.

Living on the edge of the South Downs in West Sussex feeds my relationship with nature, floral forms and structures. The morning sun falling on a roadside thistle can literally stop me in my tracks. I regularly draw inspiration from the unruly flowerbeds of my own back garden, as well as the local countryside. The challenge I then set myself is how to capture that delicate plant in carved line and shape. Simplicity of form is a strong feature of my work, and a lot of planning, refining and designing goes into creating the subtly minimalist results.