Melissa's path to entrepreneurship and life as a working artist was far from a straight line. 

For over twenty years, Melissa worked in textiles as an artist and color consultant for companies like Martha Stewart, Belle Maison, and Waverly Fabrics – all while raising two children and navigating a rocky marriage. 

By 2011, Melissa felt fed up with working behind a computer – plus, divorce started to loom. In the face of both, Melissa instinctually returned to her first love: painting. Though she hadn't painted since college, on a whim she enrolled in a local watercolor class. 

Immediately, Melissa felt just like she did in her college painting course all those years ago: nervous, but excited. The teacher noticed her natural talent right away. Soon, Melissa was hooked, painting in every spare moment – after the kids went to bed, on lunch breaks, on sneaky weekend afternoons. She found great solace in making art, reawakened to a part of herself that had (too) long been forgotten.

That watercolor class proved to be a major turning point. Not only did painting get her through divorce, but it solidified that it was time to design for herself – not someone else. So in 2016, Melissa leaned in, launching her watercolor painting and illustration studio as a full-time job. Through sheer determination, Melissa grew her love for art into a successful, growing business and brand.

Melissa still takes painting classes with that teacher, now a dear friend whom she credits for helping her find her way back to watercolor