Tiny Worlds & Wild Imagination: Melissa Moss Art

We're happy to welcome you back with another edition of In the Spotlight!  We love highlighting the artists and makers you can find here in the shop and hope you enjoy learning about them just as much!

Follow along as we step into our most recent interview with Melissa of Melissa Moss Art as she shares more about her paintings, inspiration, creative process, and more! 

I want to start by saying that for the last few years, Melissa's prints have lived in the print bin immediately upon entering the shop, and they tend to stop people in their tracks. Their popularity sometimes even crowds the entryway a bit, so I may eventually need to find them a different home within the shop.

We’re so happy to share more of Melissa’s story with you below.

 

How would you describe your business and what you do?

I paint small, fantastical worlds on paper, using acrylic ink and pen. I sell originals, prints, cards, and other products using these images. I want my worlds to be viewed as escapes where the viewer can imagine themselves there. I want them to be beautiful and whimsical but also a little strange.

When did you first start your journey? Was there anything in particular that sparked your interest and led to you getting started?

I've been painting ever since I was little. But my art business journey started over 20 years ago. I was absolutely miserable in a publishing job in Los Angeles and started taking extension courses at UCLA. These classes got me back into art again and I then I started painting. Eventually I was able to leave the publishing job to pursue an art career. So, I guess my extreme unhappiness sparked my journey to do something different.

Does where you live influence your work? If so, in what way?

I live in the mountains, but I'm really an ocean girl. So, my frequent trips to the beach are my real inspiration. 

What inspires you and your creative process?

Nature is the primary inspiration. Especially the ocean. But I'm also affected by what is happening in the world and how horrific it is. So, that is my inspiration for creating escapes. These watercolor-like paintings were originally titled "seedlings". Tiny seedlings in search of a better world where they can put down roots and grow.

 

Do you have any formal training or are you self-taught? How has this shaped your approach to making

No, I am self-taught. I would have loved to have gone to art school but I also think I don't have any rules that might have stopped me from painting in a certain way. I like the freedom of it.

Do you have a unique skill or technique that sets you apart from others?

I have a very steady hand so I can paint really tiny details, which are often hard to see at first glance.

Do you have a favorite painting?  What makes it special to you?

I don't really have a favorite but usually my favorites aren't my best sellers. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it's because I know the process and the struggle behind each one. And when I have challenged myself to do something new and it comes out well, I'm proud of those.

 

What advice would you give to aspiring makers?

I think to create as much as possible. We live in a world where people have come to expect fast results. I think there is no rushing practice. I look at my work from just a few years ago and see how much I've grown. That really just comes from doing a lot of work. Even if I abandon some of my paintings the process is the important thing. 

What have you accomplished that you're most proud of and why?

I'm just very happy that I can make a living creating art. But it has been a long journey to get here.

What are you currently working on or excited to make next?

 I am currently working on originals to release for the holidays. I'm experimenting with bolder and simpler designs, with different color palettes. I get bored very easily so I have to keep trying new things.

 

We're grateful to share Melissa's work here at Mountain Hollow and hope her tiny worlds inspire your imagination the next time you visit the shop.

For more information and the check out more of Melissa's offerings, click here.

Thank you to Melissa for sharing her story with us, and thank you, as always, for following along.

-J

*All photos courtesy of Melissa Moss Art.