Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Meli.
Angela, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been art-ing since I was a child. My first memory of art were these workbooks I had that showed you how to draw animals using basic shapes.
Those were my favorites.
In high school. I took art class es every year and enjoyed learning all of the techniques. I drew and crafted in my free time until I hit my 20s when I basically stopped doing anything besides doodling.
My muse took a decade-long break, resurfacing just after I experienced an intruder in my home and I had to move from a house to a small apartment. I think painting saved me during the time. And then the fire came and destroyed everything. I lived in Paradise, CA during the 2018 Camp Fire.
I found that I draw and paint as a means to work through my trauma. After my work burned in the fire, I turned to digital art so I could keep everything in the cloud and not lose it to another fire. Canvas can last hundreds of years or turn to ash in seconds, but pixels preserved properly can live on.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I explained in the previous question. I lived in Paradise, CA, during the Camp Fire of 2018. The fire consumed everything I owned, including my artwork and supplies. It was challenging to find the will to start over again in a new place after losing everything I’d poured myself into. I lost work I had done as far back as high school in the fire.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
After the fire, I was lost for a while. Then I saw an artist on Instagram who was creating these beautiful portraits using an app called Procreate and her iPad Pro. After doing some research, I bought myself an iPad Pro and Procreate and began to do all of my art digitally.
I am SO glad I did. While I miss the paint’s texture, I can create my art without the fear of it burning in another fire. I have the cloud!
Currently, I find inspiration in the darkness of mythology, the beauty of human expression, and our relationship with the natural world. I am now exploring my style and evolving as I learn new techniques. My style is a play on hyperrealism emphasizing shadow and light, sometimes combining bright colors with muted darkness. The Divine Feminine, women and their animal companions, and stories of strong women in mythological tales are all part of my repertoire, misunderstood by history and presented from my perspective.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I don’t enjoy talking about myself in that context; however, I would say tenacity and resilience. When I think back, I am proud of how far I have come since the fire and how I just took a detour and created my own path.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jelamonsterart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jelam0nster
- Twitter: @jelamonster
Image Credits
JelaMonster
