Melissa Vandiver Art
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mvandiverart.bsky.social
Melissa Vandiver Art
@mvandiverart.bsky.social
640 followers 1.5K following 180 posts
Melissa Vandiver: human painter, illustrator, dog mom & glitter enthusiast in New Orleans. Whimsical pet portraits, kid books, & more. Commissions welcome! Seeking representation.

https://linktr.ee/mvandiverart

Personal acct: @melissavandiver.bsky.social
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mvandiverart.bsky.social
Melissa Vandiver Art @mvandiverart.bsky.social · 1d
Just out as of a few weeks ago, my latest illustration project -Real River Rats, written by Anna Johnson. It's a chapter book for early readers, about the rats who live on the batture in New Orleans. bookshop.org/p/books/real...
The cover of the book Real River Rats. Yellow text reading "Real River Rats" is in front of a painting of seven rats in different shades of brown and grey dancing. They are on a grey gravel path at the top of a levee covered in green grass and plants. In the very front is a river with rocks and long grass sticking out of the water. In the background is a blue and purple night sky with stars and a moon. From Real River Rats, written by Anna Romano Johnson and illustrated by New Orleans artist and illustrator Melissa Vandiver. Published by Arcadia Publishing. #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitillustrators #kidlitillustration #kidlitart #booksky #litsky #kidlitsky #art #neworleans #nolatwitter #nolasky A black and white illustration of six rats of different sizes climbing on an iron fence. One is standing on it, pointing behind him at New Orleans' St. Louis Cathedral off in the distance, surrounded by trees and other buildings. From Real River Rats, written by Anna Romano Johnson and illustrated by New Orleans artist and illustrator Melissa Vandiver. Published by Arcadia Publishing. #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitillustrators #kidlitillustration #kidlitart #booksky #litsky #kidlitsky #art #neworleans #nolatwitter #nolasky A black and white illustration of two rats eating a beignet on a cobblestone sidewalks. From Real River Rats, written by Anna Romano Johnson and illustrated by New Orleans artist and illustrator Melissa Vandiver. Published by Arcadia Publishing. #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitillustrators #kidlitillustration #kidlitart #booksky #litsky #kidlitsky #art #neworleans #nolatwitter #nolasky A black and white illustration of a rat on a roof, looking back at a row of houses on stilts, overhanging a river. The river and the houses disappear into the distance. Hand-painted text that says Real River Rats is in the sky. From Real River Rats, written by Anna Romano Johnson and illustrated by New Orleans artist and illustrator Melissa Vandiver. Published by Arcadia Publishing. #illustrator #kidlit #kidlitillustrators #kidlitillustration #kidlitart #booksky #litsky #kidlitsky #art #neworleans #nolatwitter #nolasky
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
burrddoh.bsky.social
It’s time! #ArtAdventCalendar
#ArtYear #EastCoastKin #Watercolor
Watercolor botanical pattern of leaves and flowers in a bronze frame
December 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
stoutheartstudio.com
Happy first day of #ArtAdventCalendar, folks.

I’m sharing this excellent Wyandotte rooster I digitally painted for #birdtober. I work in #Procreate using natural media brushes.

#chicken #birds #art #illustration #digitalArt #SciArt
A digital painting of a Wyandotte rooster, with black edged rust red feathers, long amber feathers trailing from his neck and bright red wattles. He has bright iridescent and black tail feathers arching up and back. The background is simple, washes of watercolor for brown dirt, sage green brushes, and a Robin’s egg blue sky.
December 1, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
sarahscrumbs.bsky.social
An iris I painted for my mom after my grandma passed away in 2017. ❤️

#ArtAdventCalendar
A magenta iris with bright green leaves next to a stem of purple iris buds. Background is green gold blooming watercolor.
December 1, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
pursuitsofnancy.bsky.social
‘Tis the season for… #ArtAdventCalendar!

Day 1️⃣

A kaleidoscope of paper butterflies boxed with specimen pins 🦋
Paper punched butterflies of various colours and patterns poked through by a specimen pin and into the back of a gold picture box frame.
December 2, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
torilart.bsky.social
Good Evening. In typical fashion, I'm late to the Advent kick-off. But hey! It's still day ONE!!
#ArtAdventCalendar
"Wisdom Of The Weeds"
Acrylic On Canvas
#painting
#torilart
#art
#fineart
#acrylic
A colorful abstract painting of dandelions, showing round white seed heads on thin brown stems against a vibrant background of greens, blues, and yellows, with soft glowing circles and blurred streaks of light
December 2, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
susanabbeyandfinn.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar
#artistsofbluesky

Day 1
A view from a walk I took in the Yorkshire Dales this past April. What a glorious place.
Please tap to see the full painting. You are missing most of it here.
A view from a walk I took this April in the Yorkshire Dales in England. A sheep looks at the viewer will cascading hills and valleys beyond. The sky is orange and red with the setting sun.
December 2, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
samposnick.com
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 1

Kicking things off light and breezy with this art deco inspired peacock pattern
Peach pattern with graphic arched fern shapes and line artwork of peacocks and peahens standing within.
December 2, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
debbolita.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar
#MacroMonday
#SensoryArt #Season

#Poinsettia #BloomScrolling #Holidays #Festive #Christmas #OnlyBeautifulThings #TheLittleThings #SimplePleasures #Breathe #FlowerPhotography #PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited #EastCoastKin #AltText
This photo is a close-up, macro shot of a poinsettia plant, a species botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima. The image is dominated by the vibrant red modified leaves, known as bracts, which are often mistaken for flower petals. These striking, star-shaped bracts are a defining feature of the plant, especially during the festive season. At the center of the red bracts are the actual, small, yellowish-green flowers, called cyathia. The background is a deep black, which makes the bright red of the plant stand out sharply.
December 2, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
hedgehoggrl.bsky.social
Breaking out some of my pottery for #ArtAdventCalendar. This is a large handbuilt platter with one of my favorite glazes, Celadon Bloom.

#EastCoastKin #PottersOfBluesky #ceramics #MondayBlues
Handbuilt ceramic bowl with light blue-green Celadon Bloom glaze that creates random white "blossoms" in the glazed surface.
December 2, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
himmapaan.bsky.social
'Everything has its proper name. I shall call it “Armadillo” till I found out the real one…’

Illustration for The Beginning of the Armadillos, from Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, published by The Folio Society, 2012.

Watercolour on Saunders Waterford hp, 140 x 240mm.

#ArtAdventCalendar
Watercolour illustration of a pair of armadillos in a vertically-oriented composition, with the armadillos towards the top, and the grassy environment leading the eye downward in gestural, impressionistic brushstrokes. The palette is predominantly in warm ochres and oranges.
December 2, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
matreyoo.bsky.social
In the spirit of an advent calendar, I decided to look for pictures I took on December 1st.

Here's Crooked Lake in northern Michigan on December 1, 2021, looking spectacular. I didn't contribute to the art, just pointed the phone!
#ArtAdventCalendar #Seasons
#nature #photography
Photo of a lake at sunrise with what are likely Canada geese lined up in the (surely) frigid but not frozen water. In the foreground is the shore with snow.
December 2, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
sciencesocks.bsky.social
It's #ArtAdventCalendar day 1!

Sharing the first ever piece of jewelry that I made* in sterling silver about 4 years ago.

A pendant with a black rutilated quartz stone that I gifted to my mom 🙂

(* the first piece that didn't melt 😂)
Square pendant with bezel set cabuchon black rutilated quartz stone in sterling silver
December 2, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
michele207.bsky.social
I'm all in favor of more #Cookies in #ArtAdventCalendar
smearysoapbox.bsky.social Dale Martin, Cartoonist @smearysoapbox.bsky.social · 13h
Not the first time you’ll be seeing cookies from me during #artadventcalendar … but it will mostly be my holiday-themed cartoons from years past. But today's is to celebrate #NationalCookieCutterDay (according to NationalToday.com)
A display of colorfully frosted holiday cookies, arranged on a cooling tray. Cookie decorating items are seen around the edges of the photo.
December 2, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
cathey.bsky.social
Thought I'd inspire myself with this amazing dahlia for Day 1 of #ArtAdventCalendar. It's called Peppermint Swirl - so apropos for the season, don't you think? Happy December! ❤️🤍🌿
#Flowers #Garden #EastCoastKin #NaturePhotography #Bloomscrolling
A stunning red and white dahlia with its profusion of bi-colored petals and gold disk florets at center lights up against a mottled background of golds, greens, and pops of red.
December 2, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
donrice.art
Sketch art · donrice.art
Shop · ebay.com/str/donrice
#artadventcalendar
art advent calendar · day one
Beaver on a Bank
A beaver sits on the bank of a tributary that has become a home. Sketch art by Don Rice.
December 2, 2025 at 3:18 AM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
I'm kicking off my #ArtAdventCalendar this year with one of my favorite pet portraits I did over the past year. Here is Lulu, as a mermaid. To view more of my work, visit www.mvandiver-art.com
A painted portrait of a furry white and brown dog with a crown of seashells and coral and kelp, with jewels and pearls, on a light sea-blue background. By New Orleans artist & illustrator Melissa Vandiver.. #artadventcalendar #art #illustration #illustrators #illustratorsky #artists #artsky #dogsky #dogsofbluesky #petportraits
December 2, 2025 at 1:00 AM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
Sharing this from my other account because it's important info for those in New Orleans!
melissavandiver.bsky.social Melissa Paints @melissavandiver.bsky.social · 2d
I went to an "ojos" training tonight hosted by New Orleans DSA and Union Migrante and thought I'd pass on new things I learned:

1. Low/old info ICE sighting posts are wreaking havoc on immigrant communities. Basically, incomplete or old info is actively harmful (even if ppl have good intentions)
November 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
Someone discovered her reflection today
November 24, 2025 at 7:44 AM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
Anyone have experience with a puppy who doesn't want to go on walks? Doesn't want to leave the domicile?
November 21, 2025 at 7:56 PM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
Watching the neighborhood stray cats take their morning strolls.
View from behind a small black puppy sitting on a porch looking out. In the background area a fence, a street, and a blue house and a yellow house
November 18, 2025 at 3:45 PM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
New Orleans! If you're headed to Po-Boy Fest today, stop by Blue Cypress Books to get a signed copy of Real River Rats - written by Anna Romano Johnson and illustrated by me, yours truly! It's a chapter book for very early readers. I won't be there but you can say hi to Anna!
Flyer with Blue Cypress Books at the top, a photo of a woman and the cover of a book called Real River Rats. Text says 11:30AM - 1PM Anna Romano Johnson PO-BOY FEST SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16. #booksky #kidlit #kidlitart #neworleans Art by New Orleans artist and illustrator Melissa Vandiver
November 16, 2025 at 3:52 PM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
Having a lot of trouble being motivated to potty in the morning because we like sunbathing so much!!
A black and tan puppy sitting in the sun on concrete in front of concrete stairs
November 15, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Melissa Vandiver Art
mvandiverart.bsky.social
We have a new family member and we have finally named her!

Introducing Large Marge! (I'm gonna call her Margie). She is some sort of dachshund+Chihuahua+??? mix. Very long wienerdog body though!

I can only catch a photo of her when she's doing lazy stuff but she's got big puppy energy 🤣
A black puppy leaning on a pillow and looking at the camera. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky A black and tan puppy, sprawled out sleeping on an orange and blue blanket on a blue couch. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky A black and tan puppy looking at the camera on a blue and orange blanket. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky A black and tan puppy sitting on a man's lap. He's wearing jeans and sitting in a yellow chair. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky
November 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
We have a new family member and we have finally named her!

Introducing Large Marge! (I'm gonna call her Margie). She is some sort of dachshund+Chihuahua+??? mix. Very long wienerdog body though!

I can only catch a photo of her when she's doing lazy stuff but she's got big puppy energy 🤣
A black puppy leaning on a pillow and looking at the camera. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky A black and tan puppy, sprawled out sleeping on an orange and blue blanket on a blue couch. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky A black and tan puppy looking at the camera on a blue and orange blanket. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky A black and tan puppy sitting on a man's lap. He's wearing jeans and sitting in a yellow chair. #dogs #dogsky #dogsofbluesky
November 13, 2025 at 5:25 PM
mvandiverart.bsky.social
Pivot to video they said
November 6, 2025 at 1:09 AM