ARTIST'S BIO

Melissa Smith is a self-taught artist originally from the beautiful countryside of Upstate New York. Raised on magnificent farmland there, surrounded by animals and nature, inspired Melissa to become an adamant animal lover and influenced her passion for the natural world. Besides painting, she loves reading, gardening, gourmet cooking, camping, spending time with family and friends, and laughing loudly. Melissa lives near Dallas, TX with her husband and their two dogs.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

"In my pet portraits, I express my joy in both the love of painting and my love of animals by capturing a very special essence, unique to each animal. Our pets give us unconditional love and I am proud to have found a way to honor and commemorate them. I find painting house pets a particular joy, especially capturing candid moments in time, in a cherished pet's life. I work primarily from photographs where subjects are often painted at play, exploring, or resting. The bond between the pet and owner and the profound love many people have for their pets truly inspires me. The paintings not only achieve a great likeness, they capture the personality and spirit."

"In my landscapes, I explore the beauty of nature with an emphasis on close-up perspectives of natural elements. My paintings are the materialization of my passion of searching for those small windows in life in which to escape; windows emerge in every glance: a trickling stream, a mossy stone, a fallen leaf, even the air and light around us. Serene soothing colors and almost fortuitous brush strokes often combined with bold textural elements achieved with palette knife, reveal a longing to be in the painting, in this amazing place and in the moment; a tranquil state of mind."