The place I was born and raised: The Garden State. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawing and creating art. As a kid I spent my days indoors with boxes of Crayola colored pencils and a wild imagination. I would always feel a sense of pride when my friends came to me and asked me to draw something, knowing they trusted me to create something they’d love, even if it was as simple as a cartoon doodle on notebook paper.

As a teenager I became particularly interested in tattoos. The idea of having works of art so special, so personal, and preserving them for a lifetime; carrying that piece with you wherever you go and having it on display for the world… so amazing! I designed my first tattoo at 16- a three-piece matching set to share with my mom and sister. After getting my own design permanently inked on my wrist, I became enamored with the idea of having something I create immortalized in such a meaningful way.

Through the years I’ve built myself a reputation of the go-to girl for art and tattoo designs. I have taken advantage working as a bartender to build my clientele and expose my work to the public. Seeing the joy my art brings people and the love they have for my work- whether it be family members or patrons at the bar- encourages me to take the next step in turning my passion into a career.

If you take a look at my portfolio, you’ll see a wide variety of mediums and subject matter. One of the things I believe in most as an artist is that being diverse in your work and challenging yourself to draw outside your comfort zone is extremely important. I pride myself on being able to take any given idea and execute it as a work of art. Like all artists, I have many inspirations, a few of my biggest are the dark, moody aesthetics of the 90’s Seattle grunge era; the bold, expressive art of Eastern Asian manga and anime; and the antique, sea-weathered look of life next to the Atlantic Ocean. Some very different cultures from very different parts of the world all heavily influenced and shaped my unique style today and continue to develop through my journey as an artist.

Thank you for taking the time to read and check out my art!

Yours truly,

Melissa Cameron

Artist & Plague doctor