We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Mastrangelo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I’ve always gravitated to creating at an early age. It was a childhood dream I’m grateful I never gave up on. Growing up visiting Maine every year is where I fell in love with the ocean… There was even a time I considered Marine Biology as a profession. At Coastal Carolina University I pursued Fine Art as a major, I have my Bachelor’s Degree, but after graduation I was a little lost with moving forward in what I really wanted to do with it. I thought about getting my Masters in teaching, but after a short stint as a substitute teacher I realized the educational system wasn’t for me. It was really when I moved to Florida, on a whim, that I saw the opportunity to turn my passion for nature and art into something more. I worked very hard to realize my value and utilize my talents into a lucrative art career. Thankfully living in south Florida there are, and have been, countless opportunities over the years, for creatives like myself to help acheive this goal. Being here really helped bring me down the path to fully realize my potential, and also get the resources and networking needed to become a full time working artist. 
Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Basically I’m an Upstate New Yorker that never belonged. I really feel in love with painting when I moved to Delray Beach, although I did dabble in acrylics in college. It took about 5-10 years, to really hone in on my painting skills, to be where I’m at today. I’m pretty well rounded in what I have to offer for my clients. I’ve created logos, murals for businesses and in homes, label design for local breweries, holiday card designs for PNC bank, custom pieces of all sizes, and I teach painting classes a few times a week with my other company Mobile Masterpieces. My use of bright colors always catches my followers eyes. Also, moving away from the canvas unto upcycled objects really sets me apart from a lot of the other Florida/ marine life artists around. My most popular sellers for personal work are my skateboard decks and skim boards. Overall, I want people to feel happy when looking at my artwork or taking a class from me. Painting brings me a lot of joy and I want that to reflect in my work.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I recently just got into Procreate, which has been around forever I guess! I honestly really wish I had gotten into the digital realm sooner. It makes a world of a difference when designing colored sketches for clients and design work. It would’ve saved a lot of time and headaches with changes. I’m a little old school… my husband calls me his Bob Ross, lol, but I’m trying!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
As a nature lover and scuba diver, I guess my goal as an artist is to make people appreciate the beauty of what is around them through colorful landscapes and seascapes. We live in such a crazy, busy society. Too often we forget the best thing for us is to take a walk in mother nature or a swim in the ocean, to get back to our roots and enjoy the fresh air for our mental health. I love to create lush underwater scenes in hopes people can realize how stunning our reefs are and to inspire them to do their part for ocean conservation. I partner quite often with Loggerhead MarineLife Center (sea turtle rescue) for projects and fundraisers, so saving our coral ecosystems and creatures are particularly important to me. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dreamincolorartfl.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dreamincolorart
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/dreamincolorartfl
Image Credits
Imer Diaz