Melanie Mitchell Tucker’s twin grandchildren are the focus of her mixed-media collage ‘Babies in Bath’

By Mason Edwards, Chattanooga Times Free Press

"Babies in Bath" by Melanie Mitchell Tucker

Proudly from the Mississippi Delta, Melanie Mitchell Tucker is a retired art teacher who moved to Lookout Mountain to be closer to her grandchildren — the inspiration behind much of her work.

A self-described "workshop junkie," Tucker loves learning new techniques and styles. Her art often incorporates elements from her life, like the trout flies her husband ties or the custom nutcrackers she makes for her grandchildren. While she sells her artwork and regularly exhibits in Mississippi and Chattanooga, Tucker emphasizes her dedication to the craft for its own sake: "It's all about finding joy in the process," she says.

This month's featured piece, "Babies in Bath," reimagines a photo of bathtime for her twin grandchildren, Jacqueline ("Jack") and William, as babies. They were so small, Tucker says, that their mother washed them in a laundry basket in a bathtub to keep them from falling over. Created during a collage workshop, this piece features hand painting, paper weaving, bubbles cut freehand from translucent acetate and "diamond dot" sparkles to draw interest — bringing a family memory back to life. "The photo captured their parallel play, each in their own world," Tucker says.

See more of Tucker's art on her Instagram, @artofmothertucker, or in person at the Association of Visual Arts gallery in Chattanooga or the Malkin Gallery in Greenville, Mississippi.