We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melanie Stimmell Van Latum. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melanie Stimmell below.

Hi Melanie Stimmell, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

My parents both had what most would call a ‘regular job’. They both worked graveyard shifts and took a ton of overtime to make sure my brother and I had all we needed growing up. But when I look back, they were both really creatively talented people stuck in these non-creative roles. So when they saw my love for drawing – they encouraged it. When I said I wanted to go to art school they helped in every way they could and I’m so grateful for that.

Sure, there are times when I’ve thought about the idea of choosing a different path for my life…but I always come back to creating. I wake up every morning just itching to get into my studio and start painting. There are very few days I am not making art in some way and I love that I have the freedom to do what I love.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I create ‘Whimsical Surrealist’ paintings and portraits in both Oils and Soft Pastels in my cozy Las Vegas Studio – Lovely paintings that showcase women in various roles as mother, maiden, and protector of nature. With every painting, I try to capture the essence of femininity and the wonder of nature in a unique and captivating way. Whether it’s a goddess with a flock of winged creatures, a young girl housing woodland creatures in her elaborate hair, my work celebrates the beauty and power of women as they connect with the magnificent wildlife of our world.

I think it sometimes feels as if we’ve lost touch with the world around us…we hurry about through our cities and our lives and forget to appreciate the almost hidden world around us. I didn’t want to forget the little creatures that scurry about when no one is looking, and I don’t want to villainize the hulking creatures that wander out of the forest in search of food. So, where I started created these themes for me, I soon found that people were responding to them with such enthusiasm and adoration. They were falling in love with my paintings because they too connected to the imagery so strongly. I love that I can make them feel a reverence for nature just by looking at my work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I first started showing my work in galleries, all I heard was advice on what to paint…actually, it was what ‘not to paint’. “You shouldn’t paint portraits – no one wants a picture of someone else hanging in their home.” I was also told many times…”You shouldn’t paint pigs. No one wants to look at a pig in a painting.”
I actually let that advice guide me for a while and It didn’t increase my sales or collectors to do so.

It wasn’t until I decided to paint exactly what I want again, no matter what, that things started to flourish. I still paint portraits of women and almost all of my paintings have some form of wildlife in them – and that includes pigs :). I have collectors that beg me for more pigs in my paintings. I think the lesson is that you have to go with YOUR gut…not someone else’s. If you are passionate about something…there’s a good chance that in a world of 8 billion people, you’ll find those with the same passion.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think one of the hardest thing for non-creatives to understand is how much artists struggle with insecurity. My husband could write a book about this. lol.

I can have a room full of people tell me how much they love my work but I’ll have doubts about the one currently on my easel. Is it good enough, does it convey the message I want, will it sell? It’s an ongoing cycle of ups and downs but it also drives me to search for ways to do better. To make the next painting more powerful, more engaging, more meaningful than the last.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melaniestimmell.com
• Instagram: @melaniesvl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtistMelanieStimmellVanLatum