Melanie J Hodge (nee Hawkes) - Online CV

Email: illustrations@mjhodge.co.uk

A bit about me
I am an artist/illustrator and writer currently living in Brussels, Belgium. I was born Melanie Jean Hawkes in San Jose and grew up in Santa Cruz, California. I later attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. In 1999 I left the US to ‘travel the world’ and made it as far as Norway before meeting my British husband. I am now based permanently in the UK, but happy to accept commissions and work worldwide.

Education
Graduated 1996 - Willamette University, Salem Oregon USA
Bachelor of Arts: English Literature Major and Russian Language Minor
Other subjects studied include: Fine Arts (drawing & painting) and History

Published work
Carousel Magazine – Published in London by the Diplomatic Service Families Association (DSFA)
Cover Artwork (Autumn 2004) and Inside Story Illustrations appearing regularly since 2000

Up and Away: A Handbook for Young Travellers – Published by the DSFA in 2002, 32 pp.
All illustrations, text and layout design were completed as part of a commission taken on in 2001

Design work
2004 – Logo design for the East End Shed theatre group in London, UK
2003 – Logo design for The Old Coach House, short-term/holiday lets in Eastbourne, UK
2002 – Logo design for the Diplomatic Service Families Association (DSFA) in London, UK

Unpublished / Current projects
The Ugly Duckling
I am currently working on illustrations for my own retelling of this classic Hans Christian Anderson tale

Dear Sharon
A work in progress – the story of my year travelling told through hand-painted postcards, original letters and illustrated diary entries

I Love You, I Do!
Ready to be discovered! This romantic, yet playful, rhyming book celebrates impoverished lovers everywhere

Personal work & aspirations
I have a number of non-book projects in production at the moment and I continue to come up with new ideas and projects for after my current projects are finished. My hope is to find a publisher for works I have already finished and to seek out publishers interested in my current projects. And as always, I am seeking out new stories to inspire my imagination and my paintbrush.