Meli Calkins

818-366-9835
www.melicalkins.com
mmcalkins@earthlink.net

Meli Calkins was born and raised in Southern California. She has been painting with soft pastels for more than 30 years. Her mother worked as a commercial artist and taught Meli how to observe what she saw in her world and how to interpret it with drawing and paintings on canvas. Of all the types of media that she has had the 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 palette.”

Meli loves interpreting the beauty of nature along the California Coastline 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 children grown and on their own, Meli now has time to focus on her artwork. Since 2006 she has participated in local and regional juried art shows and has had the pleasant experience of being awarded ‘best of show,’ and on other occasions, 1^st and 2^nd place awards. Given her successes in these events, Meli is now looking forward to presenting her work to some of the prestigious juried national shows.

Meli leads an active life, managing her time between painting, meeting the demands of her family life, participating in church activities and working at a major aerospace company as an environmental engineer.

Her works can be found in numerous homes throughout California, and in Canada, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Utah and Idaho. Three of her works are featured in “the 2^nd Art Edition of International Contemporary Masters 2009” published by Despina Tunberg.

Meli Calkins is currently a member of the San Fernando Valley Art Club and the Simi Valley Artists Association.

** Individually signed and numbered Giclee Prints of many of the artworks are available

SELECTED SHOWS & EVENTS

2010 (Feb) The Nevada Museum of Fine Art Show, Las Vegas, NV
2010 Simi Valley Center Art Show, Simi Valley, CA
(1^st Saturday of each month from Feb 6, 2010 –December, 2010)
2009 6^th Annual Thousand Oaks Art festival, Thousand Oaks, CA
2009 Lulu’s Beehive, Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA
2009 SF Valley Art Club Show, VIVA Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA
2008 2^nd Annual Art About Agriculture Exhibit, California Oil Museum, City of Santa Paula
2008 SF Valley Art Club Group Show VIVA Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA

* None of the artworks may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Artist