Melissa Jander

FirsMelissa Jander is an accomplished artist known for her contemporary impressionsit oil paintings. She has a diverse educational background in technical drawing, architecture, graphic design, and foreign language and literature. Melissa has also received art instruction from art institutions such as the Loveland Academy of Fine Art and the Gage Academy, and the Art Institute of Seattle. Various organizations, including Women Artists of the West, The American Impressionist Society, and Oil Painters of America, have recognized her work. In 2018, Melissa was chosen by the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival to create the official 35th anniversary poster. She seeks to stir emotions through shape, color, and expressive brushwork.

“I try to create art that engages the viewer’s emotions through color, shape, and expressive brushwork. The beauty all around us here in the Pacific Northwest is so amazing and inspiration for my work is abundant. It might come from the imperfect and rugged beauty of a rocky coastline and its crashing waves, or from a cluster of graceful luminescent blooms catching the sunlight in front of a window. Some artists who have greatly influenced my work are Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Paul Cezanne, as well as contemporary artists such as Anne Redpath and Winifred Nicholson. I love the freedom these artists show in their work and the emotions they express. Painting this way gives me such joy, and I’m thankful to share it whenever possible.”