Melissa Gardner
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artgardner.bsky.social
Melissa Gardner
@artgardner.bsky.social
1.8K followers 2K following 480 posts
illustrator/storyteller, psychotherapist, mom and maker of magic! 🏳️‍🌈& ND
www.melissagardnerart.com
Rep’d by @sandraproudman.bsky.social
@galltzacker.bsky.social
#kidlit #kidlitart #illustrator
Posts Replies Media Videos
artgardner.bsky.social
It’s #earthday today and I’m reminded of this poster I made several years ago. Sadly it’s all still true today. Climate change is real and we humans aren’t the only ones feeling its effects—but we are the only ones who can stop it!
A poster with illustrations of endangered animals that are partly painted, partly sketched, to give the impression that the animals are disappearing.
April 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Eugene, OR!
We were all spread out lining the blocks so it’s hard to appreciate how many were out there, but we showed up!!!
Photo of ‘hands off’ protestors holding signs and lining the street
April 19, 2025 at 8:45 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Hi! It’s still #portfolioday in my neck of the woods!

I’m an adolescent psychotherapist turned author/illustrator of picture books & beyond.
I love stories full of human connection, natural beauty and sprinkles of magic.
Rep’d by @sandraproudman.bsky.social
See more at
www.melissagardnerart.com
Illustration of a ramshackle house on legs. It is wading through the ocean and has a child, grandmother and kitten dancing on the roof. A child wearing an abstract colorful dress climbs a tree as birds of the same abstract colors take flight A poster of animals that are going extinct. The animals are partially sketched and partially fully rendered to illustrate that they are disappearing from our world.
April 9, 2025 at 5:52 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Eugene, OR was there with you in spirit, Portland!
Cars driving over a bridge that is lined with hundreds of colorful protesters for the 2025 HandOff rally.
April 5, 2025 at 11:32 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Hey #kidlitartpostcard! Can’t believe April showers are here!
I’m a storyteller/illustrator living in the rainy & majestic Pacific NW. I’m looking for new projects from #picturebooks thru YA.
I’m rep’d by @sandraproudman.bsky.social
And you can see more at
www.melissagardnerart.com
#kidlitart
Illustration of an delighted alligator wearing a blue raincoat and holding a blue umbrella. He stands next to two yellow taxi cabs as it’s raining all around
April 4, 2025 at 4:19 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Thanks for posting this! I don’t know if this would suit what you have in mind, but I often use abstract paintings to create the backgrounds and/or details in my work.
Please check out www.melissagardnerart.com if you want to see more.
Thanks!
April 1, 2025 at 6:37 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Hi #kidlitartpostcard day!

With everything going on, this illo might be just how I’m feeling these days but I’m still plugging away, making art in the beautiful Pacific NW!

I love making things full of heart, poetry & a bit of magic!

www.melissagardnerart.com
Rep’d by @sandraproudman
at GZLA.
Illustration of a child wearing a crow hat and protectively holding a kitten in a storm. The child faces the storm head on, with a defiant look on their face.
March 7, 2025 at 12:28 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Just saw both these posts back to back. #kidlit peeps know that kids’ books/libraries are political, ethical & historical battlegrounds.

If it’s unclear which side I’m on, I’ll say that kids’ books should represent ALL kids, families, imaginings and histories bc that’s free speech and equality!
A photograph of a bluesky post from @brian-goldstone that reads: This is where we are now: an elementary school at Fort Campbell has remove all books from its library that so much as “allude” to slavery or the civil rights movement. The wholesale erasure of history in real time. There is a link following the post to an article which gives more details. A photograph of a blue sky post from Carrie Karnes – Fannin that reads: “ If parents fought to make sure their children were never exposed to any book about people of one specific race, religion, or disability… This would be obviously inappropriate – a clear violation of our constitution, which protects both free speech and equality.” There is a link to a blog post about the latest lawsuit on these issues going to SCOTUS.
February 16, 2025 at 8:46 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Will these do?
And can I say we were all delighted to hear that announcement!
February 4, 2025 at 5:04 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Still can’t believe it but my portfolio got a silver award at the #SCBWIwinterConference2025. Thanks for the boost of confidence and encouragement #SCBWI!
I needed that!
And congrats to the gold and bronze winners,
@karenstantonart.bsky.social, Amelia Bothe and Shannon McNeill!
#kidlit #kidlitart
3 women standing with papers in their hands, facing the camera. The awards for gold, silver and bronze are for the SCBWI NY winter conference portfolio showcase. All three women are smiling. Sign that reads: SCBWI 2025 NY conference Portfolio Showcase Awards: Silver Award Melissa Gardner www.melissagardnerart.com With an image of a young g girls wear a color dress, climbing in a tree that had birds that are now all flying away.
February 3, 2025 at 10:42 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
The world is on 🔥 & I’m going to the #SCBWI winter conference!
Why? With so much going wrong, it’s more important than ever to grow community and make art! So if you’re going to this weekend, lmk and hopefully we’ll find a way to connect!
& here’s a preview of my promo card. #kidlit #kidlitart
Painting of a hodge lodge of broken parts of houses stacked together into an impossible structure that is on feet and walking through deep water. On the tippy top, a child, older woman and cat dance. Child from the previous image is standing in howling wind and rain, carefully trying to shield the kitten from the storm. She looks as defiant and angry as protective.
January 29, 2025 at 6:09 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
With an actual ceasefire being reported (I can’t believe it!) there is still so much need. Come bid on some amazing opportunities while helping others who have lost so much.
#kidlit #kidlitillustrators #writingcommunity
#kidlit4ceasefire
Image for #kidlit4ceasefire auction, advertising a portfolio critique to bid on. Image is also showing a photograph of a middle aged woman with curly hair and a collage of her kid-friendly illustrations, including a horse, tiger on a bike, a fox wearing a jacket, foxes juggling on an elephant and more.
January 15, 2025 at 7:31 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
I have a small series of illustrations inspired by Sendak’s In the Night Kitchen that I’d be willing to share. I think I take more of his concepts than technique, but this illustration has both.
Monotone illustration done in blue and white. Three old bakers who all look related and are dressed the same with handkerchiefs in the hair and long skirts and aprons, are climbing an anthropomorphic tree as they try to grasp ingredients to bake a cake. All of the ingredients are labeled (like butter and sugar) but they all have legs or wings to get away from the bakers.
January 14, 2025 at 5:23 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Want to help a few important causes while connecting with others in the #writingcommunity?
Here’s your chance to donate! Bidding starts January 15!
#kidlit
#kidlitillustrators
Kidlit 4ceasefire Auction advertisement for a Portfolio critique from Melissa Gardner with photo of Melissa and a collage of her artwork, including lots of animals and a few mini portraits of people.
January 11, 2025 at 7:31 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
So cool to see! Sendak, shows up in my work all the time too. This is from a series I called the ‘Day Kitchen’
Three old ladies climbing a tree that has a grumpy face. They are changing ingredients that will make a pie (like flour, sugar and butter)
December 1, 2024 at 9:48 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Well that looks amazing! And chilly! Tell Kaiser that my big dogs, Phoebe and Dilly, wish they were with him instead of enduring endless rain in Oregon, US. My little yorkiepoo would rather stay with me tho, bc the snow is certainly above her head at this point!
One standard poodle and one standard golden doodle are sitting at attention, looking at the camera. Their hair is clipped short and they are staring very intensely. One small yorkiepoo standing up in the couch to get attention. She is look away from the camera at something off screen.
November 27, 2024 at 4:29 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
I’ve always hidden behind my art on social media, but I think I’ll try showing my face/life here a bit more than some of those other places. And so…
Here are my doggos. They had never been allowed on the couch before I got them this blanket. It’s their couch now!
3 dogs are curled up on a pink blanket on top of a couch. The smallest is looking at the camera while the other dogs are sleeping. They take up the whole couch, so there’s no room for anyone else to sit!
November 21, 2024 at 6:49 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Thanks for doing this!
A showcase art card showing many different spot illustrations created by Melissa Gardner. There are anthropomorphic animals, like a tiger riding a bicycle and a sly fox wearing a jacket, as well as people drawn in a semi realistic manner. There’s a huge assortment of random object and animals, like scissors, trucks, bugs, flowers, cats, dogs, bears, alligators, elephants and more!
November 20, 2024 at 4:57 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Did someone say green?

Yes, now it’s your turn!💚💚💚
#kidlit #kidlitart #illustration #painting
An underwater scene that is full of plant life/water lilies. A crane is standing in the water but you can only see is lower legs and its face as it peers into the water at a fish.
November 17, 2024 at 3:17 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Hello!
I am just getting my feet wet again on here again! It’s inspiring to see all the new illustrators #kidlit peeps on here.

I’m a picture book author/illustrator in the beautiful PNW.

This is a recent piece of mine, inspired by the art of Seth Clark.

#artshare
Of a ramshackle house that has legs and is wading through the ocean. a child with a crow costume is sitting on the roof. The house was inspired by the work of artist Seth Clark.
November 15, 2024 at 1:57 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
The night the dreams didn’t come, the dream keeper sat on her perch, at a loss and a little bit peeved. Every night, at precisely 1:16 AM, the children’s dreams would float into the sky. The dream keeper would catch them and keep them so the children’s streams would never die. This night the sky was ominously quiet, and her bottle of dreams sat empty at her side.
November 13, 2023 at 7:19 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Woohoo! My favorite day of the year- #folktaleweek is here!

This is the start of my story, kicking off #folktaleweek2023 with #folktaleweeklost

I’ll post the start of the story in the comments😊
November 13, 2023 at 7:16 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Are there many fellow #folktaleweek friends here?

How’s it going? Are you working w/ a beloved tale or venturing out on your own?
I’m making up my own story but this little lady didn’t make the cast of characters. She is edite d out, so she needed a place to recoup for a bit!
#kidlit
Folktale week illustration of a anthropomorphic horse, sitting on a divan and talking on the telephone in front of some windows.
November 7, 2023 at 8:02 PM
artgardner.bsky.social
Popping in here to say happy #kidlitartpostcard day!

I’m a mixed media artist looking for projects from #picturebooks thru #YA

I’m rep’d by Sandra Proudman at GZLA and
you can find more of my work at:
www.melissagardnerart.com
Watercolor and ink painting of anthropomorphic caterpillars in a garden.
November 3, 2023 at 4:18 AM
artgardner.bsky.social
Wow! Thanks so much for offering this! I feel like my portfolio could use some fresh perspective, so thanks for considering!
October 27, 2023 at 5:14 PM