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Melissa Vandiver Art

@mvandiverart.bsky.social

490 followers 1.5K following 120 posts

Melissa Vandiver (she/her): human painter, illustrator, dog mom & glitter enthusiast in New Orleans. Whimsical pet portraits, kids' books, and more. Commissions open & welcome! https://linktr.ee/mvandiverart Personal account: @melissavandiver.bsky.social

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

I also do pet portraits in a style closer to my illustration style: splashy watercolors. I love color and using it to represent not-colorful things. People who commission these are not interested in something "realistic" as much as they want something fun and eye-popping. Here are a few examples.

Colorful watercolor painting of a striped cat. The cat is depicted in mostly oranges and purples, and splatters and drips in the background are every color of the rainbow. Pet portrait by New Orleans artist & illustrator Melissa Vandiver . #petportraits #art #neworleans #cats #cat #catsky #catsofbluesky

Colorful watercolor painting of a dog. The dog is depicted in mostly oranges and purples, and splatters and drips in the background are every color of the rainbow. Pet portrait by New Orleans artist & illustrator Melissa Vandiver. #petportraits #art #neworleans #dogs #dog #dogsky #dogsofbluesky

Colorful watercolor painting of a dog. The dog is depicted in mostly oranges and blues, and splatters and drips in the background are greens and purples. Pet portrait by New Orleans artist & illustrator Melissa Vandiver. #petportraits #art #neworleans #dogs #dog #dogsky #dogsofbluesky

Colorful watercolor painting of a dog. The dog is depicted in mostly purples, and splatters and drips in the background are blues and greens. Pet portrait by New Orleans artist & illustrator Melissa Vandiver. #petportraits #art #neworleans #dogs #dog #dogsky #dogsofbluesky

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 11h

(obligatory photo of my stupid dog)

Photo of furry brown dog with eyes wide open and tongue out, being held in two hands

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 11h

Look if you're going to have a stupid dog who walks into holes you're gonna want it to be tiny enough to fish out of holes like my stupid dog (who falls in a lot of potholes)

AmeriKraut @inchargeofthegirls.bsky.social · 1d

sherman, for the love of god!

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Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art

Medusa’s Wink😉 @medusaswink.bsky.social · 1d

Happy ADHD Awareness Month everyone! Let’s all

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 1d

watering my colors 💦🌈

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 1d

AI doing things like that for me might save me time in the short run but would also require me to return to it each time, whereas using my tools and developing my problem solving strategies actually makes me stronger as an artist. Having a cheat code will make me weak and lose me time and jobs

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 1d

If I can't draw something, I know what to do about it: find references, sketch and draw studies.

If I don't know what to do next on a piece, I have a very specific solution: put it away, think about it a lot, sleep, and come back. ALWAYS works.

100% of the time I will get there eventually.

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 1d

If creators are having trouble with something, they have tools in their toolbox. Shapiro thinks figuring out that transition would be too difficult for Simon but even if he is stuck, he knows he can reach for the tools and find a solution, and that both he and the show will benefit from that process

Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 2d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

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Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 2d

I know it seems early to think about but paintings take a while. I'm booking for Christmas! www.mvandiver-art.com/contact#petp...

A painting of a fluffy grey cat on a coral pink background. The cat is tangled in holly, dark pink bows, and blue, gold, & dark pink Christmas ornaments. Watermark at the bottom says @mvandiverart. Pet portrait by New Orleans artist and illustrator Melissa Vandiver. #cats #catsofbluesky #catsofbluesky #art #blueskyartist #artistsofbluesky #petportrait

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 2d

I know it seems early to think about but paintings take a while. I'm booking for Christmas! www.mvandiver-art.com/contact#petp...

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 2d

This is why they go for the artists first

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 2d

They have to own art in order for their propaganda to succeed. They need the cultural understanding of the US to change. Hitler knew this and silenced artists and actors. It's why Trump tried to get Kimmel silenced. This is something they are really bad at and always have been though

Cheryl Lynn Eaton @cheryllynneaton.bsky.social · 2d

Mike Johnson would have been unsatisfied even if Bruce Springsteen or Willie Nelson had been chosen because they aren't the right type of white to MAGA. The Administration and the Party desperately want fascist figures to be cool and popular and nobody normal is down for it.

Andrew Mearns @mearns.bsky.social · 2d

lmao this dolt is beyond parody.
yeah Lee Greenwood, totally appealing to all audiences. you nailed it buddy

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

Ah this is so good and beautiful. theoatmeal.com/comics/ai_art

A cartoonist's review of AI art - The Oatmeal

This is a comic about AI art.

theoatmeal.com

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

Oooh that is a high compliment from a teenager haha

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Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

Does anyone else have a nocturnal dog?! I heard her doing zoomies last night at 4 or 5 and once again this morning at like ELEVEN O CLOCK she won't even stand up, like I let her out and she just laid down hahaha

Like a teenager

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 4d

Momma woke me up before noon today and I'm very grumpy and sleepy!

Head and one leg and paw of a furry tiny beige and black dog with one eye closed and tongue out, laying on a freckled arm. #chihuahua #dogs #dogsofbluesky #dogsky

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

I agree :)

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

Would love to paint your girls!

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you! I do like 80% dogs so I like when I get to feature some kitties

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you!!

a cartoon of alice from alice in wonderland saying " thank you "

Alt: a cartoon of alice from alice in wonderland saying " thank you "

media.tenor.com

Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 3d

I do want them to *read* correctly, so often blacks are represented by purples and blues, browns are oranges, and whites are white + purple or blue shading. Honestly though I just like splashin around on these ones. I let the lizard brain drive.