Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Slight.
Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been drawing and painting ever since I was little. My mom was an artist so she would always do arts and crafts with us as kids and taught me how to draw. I used to love copying my favorite Disney characters or make paintings for my friends as gifts. It was always just a hobby though. I didn’t really start thinking of progressing my art further until my mid-twenties when I moved to Austin. I began challenging myself to learn new mediums and stretch my style. I learned oil painting, watercolor, even digital painting mediums. I also started participating in art festivals, like the Round Rock Chalk Walk and the Liberty Hills Whimsey and Wonder Festival every year. These festivals have been incredibly inspiring. It’s a very vulnerable thing to do, to show your work in front of a large crowd of strangers, and having them compare your work to others next to you. However, the people that come to these festivals are exceedingly supportive and I love being able to meet and connect with other artists. I can’t believe sometimes how far I’ve come, and I would not have imagined I’d be able to share my art with others. I now paint and draw regularly, take commissions when I have time and even sell prints through my social media channels.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve run into a few obstacles along my journey as an artist. Like many others, I’ve struggled with my feelings of not being good enough or competing with the other amazing artists out there. I’ve stressed out over my social media following and the number of likes I’m getting. However, time has been the largest thing that has always stood in my way. I work full-time at another job that I really love, so I’ve constantly struggled to find time to focus on my art. I’ve been told that if I really want to make bigger strides and be in bigger shows, I need to focus on it full-time. That’s just not for me. I like having my other job and I also like stretching my creativity through painting on the side. Ultimately, this just means I have to make a lot of sacrifices. I have to be very careful and purposeful with my time. I don’t get to create new content or post on social media every day. I don’t get to participate in every show or take every commission. I also don’t always get to have a lazy weekend when I want. However, I’ve grown to realize that I work on my art for me, not other people. It’s ultimately only worth it to me to make these sacrifices if I’m also still having fun doing it. That means giving myself breaks and cutting myself some slack.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Artists are often told they need to stick with one medium or one subject matter in order to gather a consistent following and become successful. I have never liked that. I love learning new ways to create, and I love trying new things. Over the years, I’ve mostly enjoyed oil painting and chalk painting. Both are incredibly satisfying to blend and mix the colors together to make very beautiful pieces. I started by mostly replicating famous Renaissance pieces; that’s really how I learned a lot about drawing people and that became my favorite thing to paint moving forward. I mostly do portraits now. However, in the past few years, I’ve also started to hone in on another favorite subject – food. I wanted to challenge myself so I started painting hyperrealistic desserts. I find the bright colors and lighthearted subject matter a joy to paint. I still create other things from time to time, like landscapes or impressionistic pieces, but I think portraits and food still remain my favorites.
What are your plans for the future?
I try not to put too much pressure on myself for the future. Since this started as a hobby for me, I want to always make sure I am enjoying what I’m doing. I still set goals for myself for the year, like taking a certain amount of commissions or participating in a certain amount of festivals, but I try to remain flexible with the bigger picture. I’d love to continue to find new festivals to participate in, so that is my largest goal for the future. I’d also love to enter into more art shows and galleries in the future as well. Ultimately, I just want to continue to improve and take on new challenges.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://melissaslight.crevado.com/
- Instagram: @melissa.slight.art
