Tell us about yourself.

I remember when I was a little girl, my favorite color in art class was this unique mixture of colors that I came up with; by using neon yellow and blue coloring pens. It created a light yet solid grass green color. I was absolutely in love with that kind of color. Nowadays, greens are still my favorite colors. Looking back, this was the beginning of my art journey and my earliest and most vivid memory.

I'm Melissa Wang, a person who likes to express myself by painting my surroundings. I have been consistently learning how to draw from professionals since I was 4 years old and, I'm still perfecting the skill to this day.

As an artist, I'm a multi-faceted illustrator and designer based in Richmond, Virginia. I started with Chinoiserie painting, later using pencil, gouache, oil, acrylic, chalk, watercolor, and ink. My unique style is found in a wide variety of media.

I currently work as an in-house artist at World Art Group. One of my skills includes making repeatable patterns in various themes.

What inspires you?

Back to the love for greens, my inspirations are the trees, flora, mud, and the changing of the seasons. I am especially drawn to botany and animals. If any of my works have been seen by you, it would be my pleasure to invite you beyond our face-to-face encounters to gaze upon a few of the living creatures and flora sharing the earth with us. Plant and animal species predate and outnumber homo sapiens, however, they are typically lost to us, beyond our consciousness.

Tell us about your fabric.

My latest collection for Studio E Fabrics is called Bones (shipping June 2023).

The collection was a pleasure to produce. These works are simple watercolors, without complicated techniques. I wanted to express the beauty of the cycle of life: skulls, florals, and butterflies, those beautiful, fragile yet meant to be vanished objects. It came with a romance color palette: violet, lilac, rose blossom, and black. Looking again at some of the miracles of nature— beautiful, powerful, and simultaneously delicate. Eternity lives in the circle of annual rings.

What advice do you have for the new maker?

Everyone's path is so different and unique, enjoy your journey!

Follow Melissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theworldartgroup/