melissa gardner

Even as a teen, I remember spending hours pouring over picture books, marveling at how the illustrators brought these imaginary worlds to life. Needless to say, I've spent many years wanting to make the same magic happen on the pages of a book.

Here are some examples of current personal projects in progress. These are largely digital illustrations, though some elements started out on paper.

As the world feels the pain of the so much trauma, past and present (i.e. Covid-19, the climate crisis, social inequity, racial violence) I often find myself wishing I could help in some way. These paintings were born from this wish, and are a small attempt to bring hope and light into the darkest of times.

They are digital portraits layered over photographs of acrylic paint on paper.

These paintings are a mixture of abstract whimsy to contrast detailed observations of wildlife. It might be an odd way to proceed, but in each of these paintings, the abstract acrylic is laid down on paper first, and the fur and feathers are worked in, around the paint. These are mixed media: water color, ink, pencil and acrylic.

I’m drawn to editorial illustrations that highlight issues that may particularly impact children, their education, their development, and their safety. Of course, many of the issues are intertwined with things that affect children and adults alike. These works are largely digital, with some paper elements incorporated in the layers.

Instagram has been a wonderful way to connect with other artists and to find prompts to inspire me to further develop my skills as an illustrator. These are some pieces I created specifically for Instagram challenges that I’ve enjoyed.