KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — When you have a love for something, you will always go back to it eventually, believes artist Melanie Bayoud. Famous for her repeated pattern designs in black and white, British-born Bayoud designs posters, postcards, T-shirts, bags, sticky labels and other merchandise.
“I can’t remember when I started drawing but I knew that I loved art since I was a little girl,” said the 52-year-old who has been living in Malaysia for the past seven years.
She still keeps a jotter book from school with her patterns and doodles. If you look closely, you will realise that she still uses the same patterns except that now they are more refined.
The jotter book dates back to 1975 when she was 14 years old. It also has notes and names of musicians she liked back then.
Bayoud is a self-taught artist who only took art classes back in school but was never formally trained. “When you’re passionate about something, you do it every day. It becomes part of your nature,” she said. Although art was her passion, her first job was nursing because there weren’t many opportunities back then for a career in art.
She did nursing in London; Bayoud was encouraged to take up psychiatry where she specialised in post natal care for mothers and babies.
Using her skills as an artist, she incorporated drawing into her interaction with patients and taught mothers how to draw... as a way to help them relax. That was the beginning of her specialty called Thinking With Ink where she helps people find peace by teaching them how to draw patterns.
When she moved to Malaysia, she had to quit her nursing job but luckily she still had her hobby. She noticed that there weren’t any sticky labels when she wanted to give gifts to her friends so she decided to design them herself.
Her first illustration, which became her logo, is a patterned elephant. She then expanded her business to include cards, posters and other merchandise.
“My first series had an elephant, dragonfly and butterfly. I chose the elephant as my logo because everyone loves elephants!,” said Bayoud. Her company is called Embee Designs, named after her initials.
Soon, she was recognised for her clean lines and unique art style. Bayoud had her first commission when she drew three elephants for the Taj Hotel in Sri Lanka.
It took her 43 hours each to draw the A2-sized elephants. Her posters can also be seen at a restaurant in Sri Lanka. In November last year, she had her first exhibition, Between The Lines, where her Malaysian themed artworks were showcased alongside four-hour-long workshops at Aku Cafe & Gallery.
“Thinking with ink is art that makes you relax. Combining the experience I learned as a nurse, I use four-hour workshops to explain how the brain works and how it affects the physical being when you are stressed. By making patterns, your mind is able to calm down,” said Bayoud.
She takes the blood pressure of her students before and after the class and notes that their blood pressure goes down after going through the workshops. Recently, she had a workshop for kids aged 8 to 18. Her next project is to teach at Spotlight in Ampang Point where students can learn art journaling, crochet and other types of crafts.
As part of her charity work, Bayoud also does “live” drawings at events such as the recent Badan Warisan chartiy event where she sold two drawings and donated workshops for 10 people. She also teaches Myanmar refugees how to crochet, using off cuts from the manufacture of clothes donated by fashion retailer Helen Read.
Besides making cards which are available at hotels in Penang, Malacca and selected art galleries, Bayoud also does private parties where people can learn how to draw.
Her Peranakan series are very popular and they come in sets of 12. Usually, her art comes in sets of six. Bayoud is inspired by Malaysia and the multi-cultural aspects of the country. Her love for Malaysia is translated in her drawings of the culture, animals as well as the iconic Twin Towers.
“I’m obsessed with patterns. People ask me why I don’t colour my art. A lot of people colour theirs but I like mine black and white,” said the talented artist.
Bayoud works from home where she also replies email inquiries and do admin work other than drawing. Instead of watching television, she prefers to work in her studio which she calls a “cave.”
You can find yarn, paper, pens, pencils, drawings and “magnifying glasses” in her neatly kept studio. Whenever she starts drawing, she can spend hours and hours in her studio enjoying what she does.
Find out more about Embee Designs at www.melaniebayoud.com and www.facebook.com/embeedesigns
