Bio A love of color is a driving force behind Melissa Gannon's art--first in watercolor then acrylic, pastel, mixed media, and oil.
Melissa enjoys painting nature. Her
inspiration comes from travel, hiking, and exploring her local area. Her
home in the Pacific Northwest provides ready access to the coast,
rivers, mountains and desert. She loves painting outdoors--portraying a
perfect peaceful place in the woods, a bird surveying the world, or the
vibrancy of a bunch of daisies. She finds that observations made in
plein air painting enhance her studio work.
Along with creating art, Melissa shares her skills and knowledge
through classes and workshops. She began teaching in 2001 and finds that
it enhances her work as she strives to find challenging material for
the fast-growing skills of her students. Some of her students have
attended her classes for over ten years, and she loves seeing their
artistic expression grow.
Galleries exhibiting Melissa's work include Earthworks Gallery in
Yachats, OR; Infusion Gallery in Troutdale, OR; Aurora Gallery in
Vancouver, WA; and Ryrie & Me in Reno, NV. She participates in local
shows including the Gresham Art Walk and the Oregon City Festival of
the Arts.
Each painting is a journey of discovery.
Influenced by the Impressionists, I love to explore layering and
arranging colors into vibrant patterns of light and beauty that unfold
onto the canvas and reflect the joy inherent in the world around us.
Nature is the primary model I paint from.
I'm attracted to the shapes formed by light and shadow, the mosaic of
sun-dappled leaves, or the visual delight of a meadow of wildflowers
seen from a mountainside trail. I seek to share the wonder of these
experiences in my work and bring a piece of nature's bounty indoors for
all to enjoy.