Melissa ColeU.S. - Pacific NorthwestAcrylic |
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Hermit Crab's Kingdom
Melissa Cole |
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BackgroundArtist Melissa Cole often finds herself snorkeling with salmon, smooching manatees and swimming with tiger sharks. It is from these amazing encounters that she derives much of her inspiration for her vividly colored, heavily textured and patterned acrylic paintings. She was born in Oregon and raised in London, Hong Kong and India. She graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Zoology and spend time as a naturalist guide in Mexico. She has written over 30 children's natural history books and travels with her husband, who is a wildlife photographer specializing in marine life. Melissa has always dabbled in art, but has spent the last nine years fully devoted to it. She is strongly influenced by ethnic patterns, which she sees in her travels abroad. "You'll find lots of dots, and a distinct border pattern in each of my pieces." Her work is found in galleries ranging from Stephan Fine Arts in Anchorage, Alaska to The Wild Side Gallery in Key West, Florida. When she isn't waterlogged, Cole finds her oasis in the Southwest. The colors of the rocks, the strangely shaped vegetation, and fascinating wildlife provide added interest for her artwork. In her own words, "No matter what subject I paint, my style is consistent, although it is almost always nature that draws me in." |