Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Schoeni
Hi Melissa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was first introduced to watercolor painting in 2018 through a workshop hosted by the Bass Museum in Miami Beach. I was working full-time as a graphic designer for a large digital ad agency, and I was desperately in need of something creative that pulled me away from the computer. I heard of this class (which included a free glass of wine) and signed up immediately.
For the next two hours, I paused my entire world and focused on these small puddles of color on my paper. I didn’t learn any watercolor skills that day, but I was allowed to sit and experiment, without worrying about making a mistake or being too precious with anything I painted. I loved it. When I got home, I proudly showed my husband this very abstract creation.
Later that night, I was eager to keep working on it. Since I had no watercolor paint of my own, I sat down with a black pen and began to outline the painted shapes to add more details. Slowly I watched these blobs of color start to make sense.
Not to be dramatic, but this was a life-changing moment. I’ve dabbled in many mediums, but nothing clicked with me like watercolor did.
Over the next few days, I bought my supplies and looked for online watercolor tutorials. Each night, after we put my stepdaughter to bed, I would sit at the kitchen table and paint for hours. After a few evenings of this, I started an Instagram account (@acreativegrey) where I could share my creations with friends and family. I became very prolific in those first few months, churning out one painting after another. Soon people started to approach me about purchasing art or commissioning a custom piece. “Creative Grey” was born.
The next few years, my personal life was bittersweet. I found out I was pregnant with a baby girl, only to lose my father to cancer a few months later. Once my daughter Stella was born, I went on maternity leave and enjoyed a few months of normalcy before the pandemic hit. My creativity was definitely in short supply, but I continued to find pockets of time to paint and visualize what I wanted to build for the future.
I found opportunities to push myself out of my comfort zone, signing up for art fairs and markets like “Market for Makers,” in hopes of showcasing my art to a larger audience. Each experience left me with a new motivation to push my small business forward.
In recent years, I’ve worked on everything from wedding crests, pet portraits, bridal bouquets, holiday ornaments, painted vases, handmade watercolor patterns, and more. I also started offering watercolor workshops, teaching people the basics of watercolor and how I use intuitive painting to create loose florals.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In those first few years of motherhood, it was easy to feel like I wasn’t doing enough with my art. My head was bursting with creative ideas and aspirations, but I realistically didn’t have the time to implement them. It took me a long time to accept that the timing wasn’t right, but it would be soon enough. I took some of the pressure off, and let myself fully lean into the stage of life I was in. That was a game-changer.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In general, I love to paint with a very loose and intuitive approach, so it’s no wonder that much of my work focuses on florals. The nature of their organic shapes lets me focus on the spontaneous flow of color, without worrying about things looking “perfect”.
Aside from florals (and fanciful birds), the pieces closest to my heart are my collection of feminine figures. Accompanied by organic shapes, they depict our connection to all things invisible, such as intuition, creative inspiration, and spirituality.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The only advice I can give to someone starting out is to just put your work out there. Don’t wait for it to be perfect, because that’s always a moving target.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creativegrey.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acreativegrey
