Last week at Broken Frontier... Colossive Cartographies #69 – Mel Gale Revisits ‘A Fragile Obsession’ in this 16-Panel Minicomic. www.brokenfrontier.com/colossive-ca...

Well, what a week in terms of recognition of my work. First a great review from @andywpoliver @brokenfrontier and then a showing of one of my top selling works “Whooo Are You?” On Insta by the @theaoi .

A dream came true yesterday when I got this wonderful review from Broken Frontier. If you want to read “A Fragile Obsession” for yourself it is £2 from @colossive.com

Here's a lovely review of our 69th Colossive Cartography: A Fragile Obsession by the wonderful @melgale.bsky.social... Thank you, as ever, @andywpoliver.bsky.social 😊

The Colossive Cartography Series 12 is now complete including “A Fragile Obsession” by my own fair hand concerning what happens when an EBay studio glass habit gets out of control.

Here’s everything we published in 2025 - plus the #CroydonSpaceport CD with @tcfsr.bsky.social, of course, and our #ColossiveCartographies 5th birthday party @goshcomics.bsky.social. Thank you all for being part of it. Have a Colossive 2026!

Another Porto memory. My friend and travel buddy went back to the flat for some rest so I took a walk along the Gaia riverbank and stopped at the Sandeman Port Lodge and terrace bar. There were no spare tables and a very friendly Irish-Canadian lady called Mary offered me a seat at her table.

My latest work from my Porto project - Ribera Square. @visitporto @porto

Had a great time @cmyk.festival yesterday despite getting up at stupid o clock to catch three different trains. Lovely to see @stonelyonly and @mandyrolandsmith @colossivepress - got your inspirational advice cards on my stall to anyone who wants one.

Currently watching The Pretenders on Top of the Pops - a timely reminder that a lot of good things come out from Hereford including @cmyk.festival where I will be tabling on Nov 6th. Get your spending trousers on and come and say “Hello”. #cmykfestival #hereford #herefordcollegeofarts #

For my architecturally minded friends. We’ve just bought Monty a new scratching post. I thought it looked modernist but where in modernism do you get flying buttresses? Asking for a friend….

👀 We're just a couple of weeks away from launching our 70th (!) Colossive Cartography. Among its many talking points, this one has the longest title yet. Want to be among the first to get your hands on a copy? Subscribe to Series Twelve for £10 at bit.ly/colossiveS12 #zines #colossivecartographies

A collage inspired by my recent holiday in Porto, Portugal - a lively and beautiful city of amazing coloured buildings and street art. It’s great to get back into collage again, finding a use for all the old photocopies I made at art college. So look forward to a few more porto images to come.

I’m very happy to announce that I will be tabling at the Christmas Edition of @cmyk.festival Hereford on Dec 6th. Looking forward to seeing my Hereford friends there. #herefordcollegeofarts #hereford #cmyk

All settled in at @winchcomics. Made one sale already!

So looking forward to tabling at Winchester Comics Fair tomorrow. See you there!

Now in @handmadeinboa I have added to my purely digital work with a selection of my colourful watercolour and pen paintings comprising beautiful garden scenes, holiday memories and exotic images of Morocco with added cats. Come and have a look…

We sent out ANOTHER newsletter yesterday - which began with a plug for a lovely event that happened today. See? That's the kind of thing you miss if you don't subscribe. But you can still read the rest of it and find out about our THREE new #zine launches here: bit.ly/colossive1810 (Also: #cats)

I’m ecstatic to say that my second cartography has just been published by the amazing team at Colossive Press. It is about what can happens when an EBay habit gets out of control - mine never did to the extent that it did to the protagonist here but I do have a wonderful collection of studio glass!

What a wonderful response to our “Brutal Bristol” exhibition documenting Bristol’s Brutalist Architecture which closed yesterday. Great footfall and the walking tours were sold out. @eberlin @tom8enjamin @elliottsargent2112 @lmalyondraws @brutalismincolour @susantaylordesign

My new Colossive Cartography on the subject of dangerous studio glass obsession is out soon!

I’m ecstatic to say that I will be tabling at The Winchester Comics Fair in Saturday Nov 1st. Drop in if you are in the local as there will be loads of tasty small press and print stuff going on #zinefest #zinefair #zinefestival #comicsfair @zinezilla_bristol #shakebristol #artholecardiff

Get ready for “Brutal “Bristol”, an exhibition of art and photography about Bristol’s brutalist architecture to which I am contributing. Sparks Bristol 8-12 October 2025

My haul from a wonderful day out at @artholecardiff for Small Press Day. I sat in on some really inspiring discussions, panelists included @beastlyworlds @r.e.burke and @piggyhammer. If you look closely at the second photo you may recognise some of my zines for sale.

One of our favourite eateries are @thelounges. The Porto Lounge in Fishponds, Bristol was our regular haunt when we lived there and a Lounge is always a great, yet dependable venue. Here are a few of the wonderful dishes we have eaten whilst enjoying the ambiance of kitsch art and fringed lampshades

I'm delighted r#to announce that I have now joined and am selling at @handmadeboa Handmade in Bradford on Avon. Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire is a truly beautiful town and I can't wait to spend more time here.

My zines are now @mikescomicsbristol in the wonderful St Nicks Market. He has a lot to say about “Slugs on Tour” which was originally intended to be a serious attempt to portray the liminality and hauntology associated with underpasses them lockdown happened. If you can’t get to Bristol please Dm me

This watercolour and pen painting of a home in the beautiful Georgian terrace of Richmond Place, Bath has just been delivered to a delighted client. The remaining three paintings are still available and if you would like me to paint a picture in this style wherever you live please get in touch

We're here and all set up for CMYK Festival @herefordarts . Loads to see and buy so come down with your spending trousers on. can Martin, my husband has selflessly accompanied me here today instead watching TV seeing Leyton Orient get thrashed.

Yes all, it’s that time of year again. I will be tabling at the amazing CMYK Festival at Hereford College of Arts. I will be selling prints, Linoprints, zines, stickers, pins and earrings based on my love of architecture, folklore, retro rock and cats. Looking forward to meeting you all there.

My opposition to AI generated images is not based on some nebulous fear of all the work I could lose (though I don't know why being able to make a living wage with my artistic skills is a bad thing), my opposition to it is because it is fascist technology used by fascists for fascist purposes.

Memories of a lovely sketchmeet with Bristol Urban Sketchers last year. I had never seen the lovely autumn red trees outside @novascotiapub before it was so beautiful and memorable.#bristol #urbasketchers #autumn #autumnvibes🍁

This is a composite of some urban sketches of Bristol Harbourside that I made whilst out with @urbansketchersbristol over the last couple of months. Whilst in the first year of my illustration degree I wondered about doing a sketchbook journal of Bristol for my final project - then came lockdown…

Another Brutal Bristol collage. A4 recycled card and wallpaper samples. This time what is probably my favourite brutalist building in Bristol - Cheese Lane Shot Tower. #bristolbuilding #bristol #brutal_architecture #brutaism #brutalist #shottower #bristolarchitecture

I don’t know, strictly speaking whether Clifton Water Tower is Brutalist, Modernist or what but it is still very striking indeed. A4 collage on recycled cardboard with wallpaper samples. #bristol #bristolbrutalism #cliftonbristol #watertower #watertowerpics

It’s taken along while to wrap up this project but it’s finally here. ‘Sublime Follies’ is a whistle stop tour of architectural follies from all over the British Isles - all of which can be visited and some which are even possible to stay in courtesy of @landmarktrust .

Yes it's that time of year again! CMYK will be spreading its colourful loveliness over Hereford. Come and see me and loads of other talented illustrators at Hereford College of Arts on May 17th. #cmyk #cmykfestival #herefordcollegeofarts #illustration #illustrationfestival

After my inclusion in the Brutal Bristol pamphlet I was inspired to create this collage of the Norwich Union building Wine St which is being demolished as we speak. This particular aspect of the building fascinates me and I was glad to get a decent photo before the wrecking ball got to it.

Yummy cake from Sweet Little Things Bath @sltbath #bath #foodiebath #bathpatisserie #cakesofbath #foodsofindtagram #patisserie #patisserieofinstagram #patisserieofbath #cakes #cakesofinstagram #celebrationcake #celebrationcakes #greatbritishbakeoff

Another food study. @branchmarcosolive in Victoria Street was a favourite destination for us before we moved from Bristol, serving delicious Sardinian inspired food. Before we left I actually sold Marco a watercolour and pen portrait of the restaurant’s exterior before we left.

I thought I would have to miss out on @cmyk.festival this year due to a clash with my involvement with another project (more about that later), however as luck would have it that turns out to be the week before. All being well hopefully I’ll see you all there on May 17th

Another picture inspired by the wonderful @nizibakery Hereford. If you are in Hereford @nizibakery bread is well worth getting up early in the morning for #nizibakery #artisanbakery #artisanbread #herefordshire #hereford #herefordlife

Remember when the British Brexit MEPs turned their backs on Europe. They admired Putin and Russia. This is now The Reform Party.

Unbelievable. Donald Trump has been invited to a state visit to the UK. We should not be rolling out the red carpet to celebrate this man. Agree? Add your name to the petition today: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/no...

Finished today my homage to the Chelsea Bun. When I consider what sort of illustration practice I want going forward I realise I don’t think that I will ever tire of illustrating food/drink and travelogue. Such discovery and literally a feast for the senses.

I love finding places to eat and drink on days out and holidays- it doesn’t have to be somewhere high class or expensive - just good fare and a welcoming vibe. Here is a sketch of some Chelsea buns that I’m currently working on.

Melanie Gale 2m · Shared with Your friends Apparently Trump wants to make plastic straws great again! I’m waving any exclusivity rights on this image please share the hell out of it, especially if you live in the US. #usa #us

My Sheela na Gigg linocuts are back in my Etsy shop MelGaleIllustration or dm me for details. Each print measures 8x10 inches and is printed on environmentally friendly lokta paper.