About the Artist
Melissa Walton Fine Art
Hi, I’m Melissa. I am always asked, “Why pastels?” I must admit, it was love at first sight. To this day, when I look at a gorgeous display of open stock colors my eyes grow wide with excitement. The possibilities are endless. The colors are all there. The combinations and marks have the ability create passion and convey excitement and evoke many different moods. They are impulsive and make a statement. Their ability to evolve and morph the subject with subtle layering is something that only the pastel medium can capture. Because of this, I have spent the last decade perfecting my technique and honing my skills. While I experiment with many different subjects, my favorite remains the Virginia landscape, whether it is the mountain vistas of Central Virginia or the gentle shoreline of the Northern Neck. No matter how far I travel, Virginia always feels like home and this is the feeling I try to capture in my landscapes. Favorite days, happy memories, moments that take your breath away that are preserved through a painting - this is what art is to me.
Current works include still life, florals, and city scenes with figures caught in the moment of every day tasks. I am currently loving adding "life" to paintings and experimenting on their role and impact in the story.
About the artist:
Melissa Walton is a Richmond, Virginia-based artist specializing in the pastel medium. She focuses on dynamic compositions that convey the atmospheric perspective and have a strong pattern of light. In the studio she enjoys converting her plein air studies into original interpretations of familiar subjects.
Melissa has a B.S. in Business Management from Virginia Tech and is an associate member of the Pastel Society of America and American Impressionist Society. She can be contacted for commissions at [email protected].
Follow on:
Instagram @pastelsbymelissa
Website www.pastelsbymelissa.com
Recent exhibits:
2026
Pastel Society of Maine "Pastels Only" May 2026
Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, Solo Exhibit "Collected Impressions: Life & Light in Soft Pastel" Richmond, VA May 2026
2025
Southeastern Pastel Society "Luminosity" November 2025
Degas Pastel Society 24th Biennial Member exhibit August 2025
2024
Pastel Guild of Europe "Dust Off" , December 2024
Southeastern Pastel Society "Luminosity", November 2024
Plein Air Unleashed, Deltaville Plein Air Festival, Deltaville, Virginia May 2024
2023
Solo Exhibit, Everleigh Vineyards, Mineral, Virginia Fall 2023
2021
Artist-in-Residence, The Steward School, Richmond, Virginia October 2021
2019
Artist-in-Residence at Palette Home in Richmond, VA May 2019 - May 2020
2018
Mid Atlantic Pastel Society Annual Members exhibit, 2nd Place
Capital One Corporate Exhibit, group show
Solo Exhibit - Palette Home, Richmond, VA
Mid-Atlantic Pastel Society - Glenmore Yoga Center
2017
IAPS 30th International Juried Exhibit, Albuquerque, NM
Maryland Pastel Society “Shades of Pastel” Rockville, MD
Pastel Society of North Carolina “Pure Color” Online Exhibit
BuyRVAArt monthly exhibit "Through the Window"
2016
Southeastern Pastel Society 17th International Juried Exhibit
