Eden Valley Artists (EVA) :: a group of contemporary artists.
We organise network gatherings, community art events and exhibitions.
Mixed media: Mel Saalfeld
I have drawn and painted ever since I can remember. My parents both love to draw and paint, so I drew inspiration from them during my childhood. I achieved an A grade for GCSE art, but my ambition to become a Veterinary Surgeon meant that I did not take art for A-level, choosing the sciences instead. I continued to draw in my spare time, using mostly pastel and pencil, and have gradually become more confident in my abilities as an artist.
I qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon in 2001, and have worked full time in Small Animal Practice since then. My love of animals has meant that I mostly draw pets and wildlife, and am regularly commissioned to draw animal portraits for friends and family. I later began to draw portraits of children and adults, using pastels because I love the way that the colours blend so easily to create tone and texture.
I love to exaggerate tone to create a stark contrast between light and dark. Most of my work is A4 size because people seem to prefer that size for portraits, but I love to work on larger pieces to create more striking images, and have worked on a few larger pieces to hang in my own home. I have made some forays in oil and acrylic, but find myself always returning to my beloved pastels! I attend a weekly pottery-painting evening where I paint onto pre-made ceramic items: I have painted most of my kitchen crockery, which is useful distraction if the cooking goes wrong!
Work
