About Meli
Meli Calkins has been painting with soft pastels for the past 30 plus years. Her mother worked as a commercial artist and taught Meli how to observe what she saw in her world and would interpret it with drawing and paintings on paper and canvas. Of all the types of media that she has had an opportunity to work with, her first love was and always has been painting with soft pastels.
Why soft pastels? In her own words she states; "I love the brilliance and intensity of color that pastels are able to display. Being able to lay and mix the colors directly on the canvas is more appealing to me than mixing colors on a pallet."
Meli loves interpreting the beauty of nature along the California Central Coast which gives her the inspiration to compose paintings where a person feels they could walk right into and be part of the painting. She also has a special love for the grace and power exhibited by the world of horses.
With her family grown and on their own, Meli now has time to focus on her artwork. In 2006 Meli started entering local and regional juried art shows and has had the pleasant experience of her work being recognized with best of show,1st and 2nd place awards. Her next goal is to have her artwork juried into national shows.
Born and raised in Southern California, Meli manages her time between painting, meeting the demands of her family, church and working at a major aerospace company as an environmental engineer. Her paintings can be found in homes in Canada, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and along the California Central Coast as well as in Southern California.
Meli is currently a member of the San Fernando Valley Art Club and the Simi Valley Artist Association.