Learn More about Melissa Lea Simmons, Artist

Welcome ~ I’m so glad you’re here. I am an artist who paints from imagination in my studio in Newfield, Maine. I am an expressionist painter who uses abstraction, color, and layered marks to express the experiences and relationships that shape my life.

The colorful art and gardens of my mother and grandmother all find their way into my paintings. So do New England’s farms, mountains, and fresh waters, and my wonder at God’s creatures and creation. These influences emerge through color, light, and marks, rather than through a literal description of a place or subject.

I work primarily in acrylic and mixed media on canvas and paper. I build luminosity through relationships between colors, transparent and opaque layers, and expressive marks. My paintings may suggest flowers, interiors, landscapes, or figures, but I am more interested in conveying an experience than describing a subject exactly.

Before becoming a professional artist, I built a pet care business and later earned a degree in business education with middle school teaching certification. Chronic illness changed that path. Years later, painting murals in my own home awakened a commitment to painting that became my profession.

My work has appeared in juried exhibitions at Newburyport Art Association, AVA Gallery, and The Art Center in Dover, New Hampshire, where I completed a four-month artist residency from October 2025 through January 2026.

Thank you for spending some time with my work. Browse the paintings, read the stories behind them, or send me a note ~ I’d love to hear what catches your attention.

For a closer look at my studio life and work in progress, join my VIPs through the contact form. I’d love to stay connected.