Melanie Mead is an award winning ceramic artist located in Phoenix, Arizona. With nature as her primary inspiration, her work specializes in sculpting flowers and other plant life for indoor and outdoor environments. Her intent is to capture the essence of her subjects in their various stages of life. This is done by rendering the forms to produce realistic to abstract results. Hopefully reminding the viewer of the fragility of nature and our role in preserving the delicate balance. She earned her BFA from Arizona State University. Her love of ceramics was cultivated there. She has also attended University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, IA), Paradise Valley Community College (Phoenix, AZ). She continues her exploration of ceramics and other media with various classes and workshops.