Melissa uses color as her primary artistic element and begins each painting by choosing an emotion to be expressed. As a trained color psychologist she has studied the meanings and associations of colors and their subtle shades and tones. She uses this knowledge to convey the desired emotion of each painting. Her unique color combinations are often reminiscent of the 70’s, but with a 21st century design sensibility.  

Acrylic and gouache mediums are used for the contrasting gloss and matte finishes. She also paints fine metallic detail, which is not always evident at first glance. Depending on the light and angle, different textures and details are revealed. The rich colors are achieved by painting several transparent layers which allow the grain of the wood and the brush strokes to show through.