A bit about me…

I trained in Graphic Art and Design at the Perth Metropolitan School of Arts, Western Australia, graduating in 1991. I have lived and worked as an illustrator in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains, Sydney and Perth, where I now reside, sometimes with my son, and sometimes without, but always with two naughty kitties.

I hope to have shown versatility as an illustrator, having produced a wide range of work from Manga style art for teen magazines Girlfriend and TV Hits to scientific illustration concerning animal identification for Taronga Park Zoo and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

While I enjoy new challenges in my art, I find work relating to the conservation of wildlife particularly inspiring and have been building a series of wildlife art, beginning with the monochromatic (meaning one-colour) Wildlife in Pencil collection.

I guess you could call me something of an animist, as I believe every living thing is endowed with a soul. As arguably the most change-effecting species on this earth, I feel we have a responsibility to support, rather than damage, our co-inhabitants and our shared environment. For now, it seems we’re not doing so well. This is my contribution to the natural world – a hope for connection, for the recognition of ourselves in these creatures and so the realisation that we’re all in this together.

Wildlife in Pencil is a series of detailed graphite portraits of Australian animals native to various regions around our vast and beautiful island country. A percentage from the sale of every product is donated to various Australian wildlife charities around Australia, including the Koala Foundation, The North Queensland Conservation Council, LAOKO and registered wombat carers.

Any enquiries are welcome and can be directed to mel@melindaperrin.com. Please stay tuned for new additions to the collection over the coming year!