AboutThe Artist

Melissa Smith is a self-taught artist originally from the beautiful countryside of Upstate New York. Raised on magnificent farmland there, surrounded by animals and nature, inspired Melissa to become an adamant animal lover and influenced her passion for the natural world. Besides painting, she loves reading, gardening, gourmet cooking, camping, spending time with family and friends, and laughing loudly. Melissa lives near Dallas, TX with her husband and their two dogs.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT
"In my pet portraits, I express my joy in both the love of painting and my love of animals by capturing a very special essence, unique to each animal. Our pets give us unconditional love and I am proud to have found a way to honor and commemorate them. I find painting house pets a particular joy, especially capturing candid moments in time, in a cherished pet's life. I work primarily from photographs where subjects are often painted at play, exploring, or resting. The bond between the pet and owner and the profound love many people have for their pets truly inspires me. The paintings not only achieve a great likeness, they capture the personality and spirit."

"In my landscapes, I explore the beauty of nature with an emphasis on close-up perspectives of natural elements. My paintings are the materialization of my passion of searching for those small windows in life in which to escape; windows emerge in every glance: a trickling stream, a mossy stone, a fallen leaf, even the air and light around us. Serene soothing colors and almost fortuitous brush strokes often combined with bold textural elements achieved with palette knife, reveal a longing to be in the painting, in this amazing place and in the moment; a tranquil state of mind."

RESUME OF EXHIBITIONS
February 2009: LOCAL ARTIST SHOWCASE, The Dutch Art Gallery, Dallas TX
October 2008: Walk, Wag and Run 2008, White Rock Lake, Dallas TX
May 2008: CityGallery, The Creative Call: Flow of the Spirit, Dallas TX
April 2008: Irving Arts Center, Texas & Neighbors Regional Art Exhibition, Irving TX
December 2007: The Main Street Art Gallery, 2007 National Small Works Paintings, Groton NY
October 2007: The Bonny Studio, "In The Studio" Annual Member's Art Show, Richardson TX
July 2007: The Lone Star State Classic Dog Show, Dallas TX
June 2007: DFWDC/DCA Regional/Houston Dachshund Show, Dallas TX
May 2007: Dallas Chihuahua Club Annual Show, Dallas TX
March 2007: Pete and Mac's Annual Fund Raiser, Los Colinas TX
November 2006: The Bonny Studio's Annual Member Art Show, CPAC- Hathaway, Plano TX
March 2006: Artist's Showplace Gallery 2006 Juried Exhibition, Dallas TX
March 2006: Plano Art Association "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" Exhibition, Plano TX
February 2006: J's Art Studio Exhibition, Café Express, Richardson TX
October 2005: Plano Art Association Annual Member's Show, Plano TX

AFFILIATIONS
Member; Bonny Art Studio Richardson, TX
The Finger Lakes Artists & Crafters Network

CHARITABLE DONATIONS
2009 Four Legged Fashion, Dallas TX
2007 Lone Star Bulldog Rescue, Fort Worth TX
2007 Royal Riding Academy Association, Bell FL
2007 Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England, Greenfield NH
2006 Wednesday's Child