Melissa lived in Boulder, Colorado from 1981 until 1987, where she studied art with Charles Ott, and her usual subject matter was still life and urban settings. Since then, she has been living and working in Novato, California. She studied for two years with Wally Hedrick, and her subject matter has migrated to include life commentary, self expression, portraiture and still lifes.

Melissa's paintings are owned by collectors throughout the country. Her works are currently being shown at Gallery One in Petaluma, Marin Society of Artists Rental Gallery, Marin MOCA, Accents in Novato and Marin General Hospital.

She has been a consistent award winner throughout her career, having received awards at juried shows including the Rocky Mountain National Watercolor

Exhibition, the California State Fair, the Triton Art Museum (Santa Clara, CA) biennial Statewide Annual Art Show, the Grand Junction National Art Exhibition, the Central City Art Festival and the Longmont Art Show.

Her work has been accepted into other juried national and international shows, including American Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA, the National Watercolor Society Traveling Exhibition, and the National Watercolor Society Exhibition, the Louisiana International Watercolor Society Annual Exhibitions, the San Diego International Watercolor Exhibitions, and National Watercolor Exhibitions in Ohio, Alabama, and Tubac, Arizona. Her "Purples First" painting was published in the book "Best of Watercolor: Composition."

She also participates in various local summer art festivals and museum exhibitions around the state. You will find her every summer at the Novato Art, Wine and Music Festival and/or the Tiburon Art Festival, and Marin Open Studios in her home studio in Novato. Her other activities including teaching art, conducting demonstrations and judging shows in Marin County.

View artist awards and juried exhibitions