Melissa Scott-Miller
- Faculty
Biography
Melissa Scott-Miller studied at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1977-81. She was born and lives in London and mainly paints views of London and portraits. She was elected a member of the Royal Society of Portrait painters in 1999 and a member of the New English Art Club in 2009, and is currently the honourable secretary of the R.P and archivist of the N.E.A.C. She has exhibited many times in the U.S.A and U.K, has appeared in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition on multiple occasions and in the B.P portrait exhibition five times, as well as taking part in many group and solo exhibitions. In 2008 she won first prize in the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize. Other awards include the Elizabeth Greenshield scholarship, Rodney Byrne scholarship, South Bank Picture Show second prize 1988, and visitors choice award in the Threadneedle Prize exhibition 2012.
On drawing
Drawing is very important to me; I draw all the time on scraps of paper, in sketch books. I draw everything around me and things from my head. I always draw in charcoal on the canvas, before I use paint. I like to spend many hours making sure I have a good drawing and get it absolutely right, so that when I work in colour I don't have to worry about perspective and proportion and composition, because all that has been thrashed out with the drawing. Usually when I draw I really concentrate, I stretch myself to my absolute limits and am very very hard on myself – then suddenly I will get carried away in a frenzy of mark making and don't care any more about getting it right – then I calm down and plod on. After that I know I will sleep well!
