Melissa Gay (she/her)
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melissagayyy.bsky.social
Melissa Gay (she/her)
@melissagayyy.bsky.social
910 followers 670 following 61 posts
I am a neurodiverse LGBTQ+ artist passionate about sci-fi, fantasy, and wildlife art. Myths and legends of nature inspire me, as does science as it expands our view of the cosmos. I believe artwork = human work.
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melissagayyy.bsky.social
New painting! Two of Swords for "ARCANUM: Painting the Fates" at Valkarie Gallery (@valkariegallery on social media) in Colorado. What do you do when you find yourself between the devil and the deep blue sea? I think none of us know for sure until we're there ourselves. Alt text for the full story.
A dark-haired woman stands blindfolded, in front of the sea, holding two crossed swords under a crescent moon. This is a painting for all the people displaced or endangered by the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, reproductive rights and health, Trans personhood, Indigenous peoples, and all the families affected. My Two of Swords card is a symbol for all who have been forced to make difficult choices within a landscape of ever-shifting policies, and having to make judgement calls while blinded by a lack of information. What do you do when you find yourself between the devil and the deep blue sea? I think none of us know for sure until we're there ourselves. The figure in the painting wears a friendship bracelet crafted by Cherokee Copper artist Greg Stice, which I gave to my best friend in celebration of her achieving her level 3 Cherokee language certificate. Although Native, she is in danger of being swept up in an ICE raid and deported because she cannot pass for white. It was her decision to leave her home and relocate to a safer state that inspired me to paint this.
May 23, 2025 at 10:19 PM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
My latest piece, "Rising Storm", 18" x 24", acrylic on paper mounted to hardboard. It is about transformation and rage, rage against that which wants to suppress who and what we are.
A witchy-looking woman, her face half-shrouded in shadow, floats in the air in the eye of a storm. Her dress is the whirlwind, her scarf makes lightning. Around her, clouds transform into ravens.
April 18, 2025 at 6:10 PM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
My painting "Dryad Wakes From a Dream" got selected to be in the vol. 13 IBA annual!!! I am thrilled, because I love her, obviously, but also I literally never know which of my pieces is going to resonate with an art jury, LOL. Acrylic on Strathmore 500, 12x18".
A luminous face, painted in yellows, turquoises, and touches of red, emerges from beneath the mossy blanket of a forest floor. She is crowned in branches or upturned tree roots, and gazing dreamily up at the world. A leaf dangles from a cobweb near where her ear would be, as if an ornament or jewelry. Ferns curl next to her face, and mushrooms sprout near her shoulder. The forest behind her is orange-hued, to suggest she could be waking either to a sunlit world, or to the foreshadowing of a world on fire.
February 15, 2025 at 9:53 PM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
I was at CONpossible in Duluth, GA, this past weekend, and it was SO FUN!! Mad props to the organizers. They had a ton of programming, a tea room, lots of vendors and authors, and WONDERFUL fans! An absolute treat to be around! The weekend just flew by, and I hope I get to go again next year! ❤️
Me, Melissa Gay, in front of some of my art My vendor booth display for CONpossible! Paintings to the back, prints to the sides, and merch to the front, with my Trans Ally flag on proud display. Another view of my vendor space, this time showing the flip bin bearing the 13x19" prints, all the way to the right. My table runner has honey bees on it, because that's what my name means. :)
February 13, 2025 at 12:15 AM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
Here are a bunch of tiny space paintings! :) Well, kinda small anyway. Acrylic on canvas is my jam! <3 It unblocks my stream of consciousness and lets my creativity flow.
Left: "River of Stars", 8 x 10 inches. Right Top: "Green Nebula", 4 x 4 inches. Right Bottom: "Upper Atmospheric Storm", 4 x 4 inches, won Third Prize Professional Sci-Fi at the Chattacon Art Show! :) All are acrylic on canvas, painted by me, Melissa Gay.
January 23, 2025 at 11:14 PM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
Finishing setup at the Chattacon 50 Art Show! Chattacon was my first-ever con back in the day and is very special to me. Yay for 50 years!!!
My decorated booth at the Chattacon Art Show, plus some stray materials for my Fairytale panel at 6pm Friday and 1pm Sunday! Closer view of my banner and booth display, original paintings, canvas prints, paper prints, and art books.
January 18, 2025 at 3:09 AM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
Happy Holidays to everyone!!!!
December 26, 2024 at 2:42 AM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
Here you go! :) Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS: - 1 cup cranberries (chopped after measuring) - 1/3 cup sugar - 1/2 cup water - (Note: I also had to add a few drops of lemon juice to get the mixture to come up to setting temperature.) 1. Chop the cranberries to a medium dice (or larger if you prefer). 2. Combine the chopped cranberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. 3. Bring to a boil on medium heat and let the mixture reach jam setting temperature (217 to 222 degrees Fahrenheit). Then lower the heat and simmer about 12 minutes until the mixture is thickened and jam like. You can place a saucer in the freezer and drop ¼ teaspoon on to the dish to check the gel, but this probably isn’t needed since cranberry jam is much less exacting than other jams. 4. Pour into a lidded jar or other covered container, cover and place in the refrigerator to finish thickening.
December 13, 2024 at 8:01 AM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
Thanks for the artshare, @artbyemilyhare.bsky.social ! 💚

I'd like to share this piece today, "Ritual Space", acrylic over watercolor on Strathmore 500 illustration board, 12" x 18". @amandamakepeace.bsky.social is my awesome model!
A woman with long black hair dressed in earth tones sits before a moss-covered rock with a black feather on it, like an offering left on an altar. Behind her are the gnarled roots of a long-ago upturned tree stump. In her right hand she holds a sapling staff. Her left wrist and hand is wrapped in a leather cord, and she holds a crow or raven skull. There is a stark contrast between the warmth of her skin and the coolness of the hazy blue-green environment. the altarstone sits in a pool of water swirling with autumn leaves.
November 28, 2024 at 8:18 PM
melissagayyy.bsky.social
I'm Melissa Gay, and clearly I LOVE to paint cosmic birds and women holding sticks! 🤣
A photo of me, Melissa Gay, surrounded by my paintings, with my signature and calligraphy chop at the top. I only realized while putting this promo image together how MANY of my artworks feature a brunette woman holding a stick. It's like a prophecy has embedded itself into my subconscious mind, "Look ye for the woman holding a stick!" I'm joking, of course. Kinda. Also I love to paint cosmic birds.
November 26, 2024 at 7:34 PM