GWEN VANDERSTRAETEN
CHERRY-THYME
GWEN VANDERSTRAETEN
CHERRY THYME
Gwen Vanderstraeten, aka Mellon, is an illustrator known for her vibrant, detail-rich work across editorial, cultural, and commercial projects
Mellon's illustrations always include a lot of detail, colour and little details. Tropical jungle plants, music and human portraits are recurring elements. She starts off with pencil on paper, but most of the work is coloured digitally. She finds it liberating to try new ways of drawing and to experiment with techniques, nonetheless striving to keep a recognizable Mellon feel to it all. In her personal work, she pushes this experimental desire even further, trying to break free from known techniques.
The story behind 'The Girl in the Wild'
“That piece was really about mystery and connection,” Mellon said. “When I started working on the design for Cherry Thyme, I wanted to create something that felt both exotic and grounded in nature. The woman in the illustration, who I like to call Girl in the Wild, is completely immersed in this lush, overgrown world. She’s not just surrounded by nature; she’s becoming part of it. There’s a quiet message there about respect and balance. We’re living in a time when nature is struggling, and I wanted the piece to serve as a gentle reminder of how beautiful and vital it is. The detailed plants, the sense of abundance, it’s all about celebrating that connection and encouraging people to care for the earth. To look closer, to feel something, and to maybe carry that feeling into how they live.”
