Melanie Brownsmith

I enjoy making, sketching, stitching, and exploring a variety of media, oftenblending materials to create the effect I have in mind. Nature and color areconstant sources of inspiration, and much of my work begins with time spentin gardens and the outdoors. I earned a BFA in Photography from ShepherdUniversity, where I explored many artistic disciplines, but the elements thatstayed with me most were color, light, and the way they influence both subjectand material.

That influence continues to shape all of my work. I create in both two-andthree-dimensional forms, often using fabric and stitching as part of theprocess. Photography was my first artistic passion, particularly historicalmethods, and its impact still appears in my work with ceramics, sculpture, andprintmaking. Today, that background remains visible in my two-dimensionalfabric pieces, whether they are inspired by nature or scenes from everydayurban life.

Working with textiles over the past decade has felt like a rediscovery—something quietly present for years finally coming into focus. It hasstrengthened my connection to family, memory, and history. Combined withmy background in photography and my love of flowers and plants, textileshave renewed my creative energy in powerful ways. Making keeps megrounded, inspired, and moving ahead.