A new Winning formula for actor and make-up artist

Mel Winning is on a mission.

The Manningtree-based artist has become known for developing unique works of art using broken and unwanted mannequins and now she’s looking for a home for her creations.

Currently the mannequins, which would otherwise be destined for landfill, silently grace her house, standing in the corners, holding up tabletops and draped off ceilings transformed into lamps, ceiling lights and tables.

Mel’s inspired works are popular among art lovers and fans of a new wave of artists using re-claimed materials. The practice has been a growing trend in London where Mel lived until two years ago.

Now Mel, whose work also includes original paintings and refurbishing old paintings, prints, mirrors and frames, is on a mission to share her work with art lovers in Essex and find a home for her mannequins. She will be exhibiting at The Tendring Show in July.

“I love showing people my work” says Mel.

“The mannequins really capture peoples imagination, they have the wow factor!”

Mel’s work has already caught the eye of the national press and her work will appear in Reclaim Magazine in June, alongside features with reclaimed materials fan and television presenter George Clarke of Amazing Spaces.

Mel developed the mannequin art idea after stumbling across a website, US-based Mannequin Madness owned by Judi Henderson Townsend, which has won awards for recycling vintage mannequins. However, instead of just creating works of art, Mel wanted to take it a step further and make the pieces useful too.

“Mannequin Madness inspired me to buy my first mannequin from ebay for £1,” explained Mel. “It was pretty beaten up and only had one leg and so I started cutting it up and realised they would make great funky art lamps that would give the pieces a function.

“I have been asked to create bespoke pieces too and that is always rewarding, people love having their own unique story told in mannequin language,” adds Mel.

Art has always been Mel’s passion, but it is not her first career.

Born and brought up in London, Mel trained in drama at the Italia Conti Stage School, where her classmate was none other than Sharon Osborne.

At the age of 17 she performed on stage with legendary actors Alec Guinness and Jeremy Brett and went on to play Columbia in the West End production of The Rocky Horror Show with Richard O’Brien.

Mel says: “Jim Sharman, who directed the original stage show and film version with Tim Curry, came back to direct the show at The Comedy Theatre. It was an amazing time to be young and on The West End Stage. Richard O’Brien was a lovely guy, very, charismatic and clever.

“I shared a dressing room with Tracy Ullman and we used to watch the auditions together hiding under the seats and giggling.”

After The Rocky Horror Show closed Mel went to work in a recording studio, making coffee and backing singing for the bands. It was while she worked there that the manager asked her if would be interested in taking on the job of studio manager which involved attending the right parties and making contact with the right people in the industry.

“I thought why not? I don’t know anything about studios, but I know how to gate crash a party,” laughs Mel.

“Before long I was taking people out to lunch on a credit card and was given a Fiat Panda to drive around in. It was right in the middle of the Eighties and it was fantastic fun, booking bands in to the studio.

“Paul McCartney popped in one day for a look round and a cuppa and the Fine Young Cannibals, Leo Sayer, The Thompson Twins and Terence Trent Darby all recorded there.”

Mel gave up working in the music business when she had her daughter, and it was when she went to school that Mel decided to train as a make-up artist, something she has done for 20 years.

“I’ve worked with some great companies including Disney, Dreamworks, The Royal Opera House, The BBC, The Victoria and Albert Museum, where I still work running vintage make-up courses for youngsters. I also did some body painting for Simon Cowell’s 50th Birthday bash,” says Mel.

Mel’s make up work also led to her dancing on stage with music legend Prince when he performed at London’s Ark charity event.

“Sadly I can’t say I danced with Prince as he was hiding behind the drum kit, but he invited people on stage and it was absolutely amazing dancing with Prince’s band. When you have a job like that you realise how lucky you are,” she adds.

Although Mel is no longer dancing on stage with the stars, her colourful career and the insights into popular culture has given her plenty of inspiration for her artwork.

After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Illustration she has exhibited her work specialising in digi-tal photographic illustration at the Medici Gallery Cork Street, London’s famous private gallery venue, the Aude Kirk in Amsterdam and The Blackall Gallery in London.

But it’s the mannequins that have become the central focus of her work.

“I love the challenge of transforming each mannequin into a new personality,” she says.

“I get emails from people who want me to rescue a mannequin from a shop or a shed, and if I need more I visit a mannequin farm called Dolly Wood where they have thousands, and I can load the car up with interesting body parts,” laughs Mel.

Mel’s company Nice Anubis, will be exhibiting at The Tendring Show in the Home and Art Space on Saturday, July 9.