Textured Art

For as long as I can remember, 'painter' has been part of my identity.As a child, art was a way for me to make sense of the world. It allowed me to create beauty in the dark, find quiet in the chaos, and develop a sense of optimism that has carried me to where I am today. My earliest experiences with art gifted me the ability to express myself, and I loved the feeling of freedom that expression gave me so much that I made it my profession. Even now, in a messy world constantly in crisis, I stand before my canvas with the same unrelenting optimism that pulled me out of the deepest, darkest parts of my life with an artist's sense of duty to show others that all of life becomes art when you choose to see the beauty in it.I love to travel. Everywhere I go, I gather inspiration and find something to fall in love with. Whether it's a sunset, a breathtaking vista, or a dense forest, those who see my paintings often see themselves in the same scene, instantly transported to a time in their life or a memory that brings them happiness. When you look at my artwork, you'll see the visual evolution of the many journeys I've taken, the places I've been, and the joy in my soul - all expressed through paint.Stand back and take in all the trees, mountains, and oceans, or step forward and put your nose to the canvas to immerse yourself in the dozens of individual strokes that support each other in telling a larger story.My painting style is unique, using abstraction, expressive color, and texture to draw viewers into nature's stunning moments and their own intimate memories. The gentle rustling of a wooded breeze, the sun-drenched sway of leaves and petals, the sensual light in a sunset fading fast... my paintings feel at once like real destinations and imagined dreamscapes.I like to think that my paintings give people the same sacred permission to dream in color that art gave me so many years ago in pieces that serve as reminders, on walls and in homes, in workspaces and in schools,

Melissa McKinnon is a professional artist, teacher, and author living in Calgary, Canada. Working primarily with acrylic paint and palette knife, her unique painting style uses expressive colour and layers of thick impasto texture to create stunning paintings of oceans, florals, mountains and trees in both representational and abstract styles. Her original paintings and prints can be found online and in private and corporate collections worldwide.