There’re two places you’ll typically find Melissa Turner Drumm: tending to trauma patients in the emergency room at Presbyterian Hospital, or in her Preston Hollow studio, blow-torch in hand, creating her latest copper artwork. The artist-turned-nurse says a profound experience drew her to the medical field. “I was living in Los Angeles when I saw a boy shot behind my house. He started to go into shock, so I ran to his side and helped him keep calm until the ambulance arrived. The whole time I was at his side, I kept hearing something telling me I should be a nurse. I believe that was my guardian angel.” Seventeen years later, she’s working as both a nurse and an artist. Turner Drumm creates large artwork by etching images into copper sheets, and then adding color with oil paints. Her most recent works address the teardown trend in Preston Hollow. “About three-quarters of the houses on my street have been torn down to make room for bigger ones. Until the new homes are built, we’re left with these empty lots, which are often overgrown with thistle. The Bible uses thistle to represent sin or destruction, so thistle was a theme in my work representing the destructions of our neighborhood. I love this neighborhood, but I do wish more people would reconsider tearing down so much here.”
For information, visit melissaturnerdrumm.com.