Melody Reynolds

Paintings by Melody Reynolds explore the transient choreography of public life: those fleeting moments suspended between movement and memory. Whether capturing the vibrant energy of a European street café, the grandeur of a stage performance, or the serene ambiance of Cornish beaches, she is drawn to spaces where people converge, perform, and observe, each immersed in their own quiet narrative.

Rather than mere documentation, Melody aims to evoke these scenes. Through loose, expressive brushstrokes and layered colours, she blurs the lines between figures and their surroundings. Individuals emerge and recede within the texture, mirroring the way memories fade in and out of focus; she prioritises atmosphere over detail, suggesting mood, light, and rhythm.

In a painting like Polzeath Beach, where figures are strategically placed across the sand or enveloped in the shimmering sea light, the emphasis remains on transient presence - moments poised between reality and memory. Melody’s work invites viewers to pause and linger in these spaces: familiar, ephemeral, and just beyond reach. Painting, for her, is a way of holding time still, if only for a moment.

You can hear Melody talking to Byre Gallery Director Elaine Dye on her podcast, An Art to It, here