Melissa Mercilliott: Mixed Media Artist

Growing up in the desert gave artist Melissa Mercilliott a fascination with plants that has lasted her entire life. A big part of this fascination was nurtured by her family’s mutual love for plants. 

“My mom has a degree in environmental science. My uncle is a music teacher, but he has a huge interest in botany and desert plants...as a kid he used to take these desert walks and show me all the different plants and what they were called…[it’s] like a family hobby we all talk about and we're all interested in.”

After Melissa moved from Alabama to settle down in Tucson, one of her former students sent her a parting gift. 

“She bought me this little bitty saguaro the first year that I was here for my birthday...as soon as we bought the house, I put it in the front yard, and quite literally put roots down.” 

When Melissa first began making art, she never thought it would turn into a career. Just like plants, art was a hobby that a lot of people in her family loved. 

“I started doing adult classes where I was teaching art just for fun. Like as a hobby for free...and then they started paying me and I thought, ‘Well, this is great! I wonder if I can do this as a career.’”

Her students would always question why she didn’t pursue art as her full-time career. Although Melissa always encouraged them to remember that anyone can be an artist, it took a while before she realized that she was ignoring her own advice. 

“I just had to get out of my head about not being as good as everyone else and just realizing that it doesn't matter. What makes you unique is that your stuff is different.” 

Cacti and succulents continue to draw Melissa in because of how unique they are and how they allow her to explore texture and color. 

“They have little thorns, and they have big thorns, and they have smooth areas behind the thorns. And then when they bloom, they have these really silky, soft petals. There's just this huge contrast between the sharp and spiky and the softness…”

Nature isn’t just an artistic avenue for Melissa, it’s also a meditative place. 

“It is kind of meditative to just be outside in nature...You get in your head a little bit, but sometimes you need to get in your head. Sometimes you need to process what's going on in here and deal with it, and not just be distracted by everything around you.”

Follow Melissa on Instagram and check out her Etsy!

A film by Peter Fuhrman.