Smile Sweet Sunflower LLC

08/10/2026

08/08/2026

I’m happy to share my studio art—past, present, and future—with you all in a clean, accessible web format. 🔗 smilesweetsunflower.org

07/22/2026

A moment of despair. A season of absence. A struggle toward what feels unattainable.

Even in life’s uncertainty—walking as a lone wolf—hope remains the only meaningful option when the alternative is dissolution.

Here’s my follow-up feature in Bold Journey’s Stories & Perspectives on Resilience Building series:

🔗 boldjourney.com/meet-melissa-allegories-3

07/21/2026

Madness, Jun. 2011

Graphite, Vine Soft Charcoal, Triplus Fine-liner Pens, Craft-smart Fine Line Paint Pens, Prisma-color Pencils, Sharpie Yellow Highlighter, Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Markers, Sharpie Paint Markers, Wax Crayons, Figma Brush Archival Ink Pens, Silver & Crimson Calligraphy Ink, Titanium White Liquitex Acrylic Ink, Black Star Waterproof India Ink, Coffee, & Fake Blood on Illustration Board.

60 x 16 inches

   

07/19/2026

Heading Home in Sequence, 2010

Color Pencil, Graphite, Acrylic Paint on Black Smooth Paper Image

60 1⁄2 x 45 inches

07/18/2026

Just when you think you’ve finally figured it out, you realize you’re middle-aged—and only just getting started. 🙄🌻

We’re just wildflowers, surrounded by palm trees and bird sounds.

Late in life, and part of the wilderness.

07/16/2026

In case you missed it, you can read a bit about the idea behind my Eudaimonia project in my interview with Bold Journey.

🌻 Slowing down creates a kind of paradoxical acceleration.

🔗 boldjourney.com/meet-melissa-allegories-2

P.S. A follow-up interview feature is coming soon.

07/05/2026

✨ I’m honored to be part of The Art of Language exhibition at ArtServe.

While visiting the exhibition, I spent time with the beautiful illuminated manuscripts on display, such as The Book of Kells and Les Grandes Heures du Duc de Berry. My own work in the exhibition was inspired by the visual language found in these illuminated manuscripts, particularly the illustrations in manuscripts of the works of medieval Austrian author and cleric Ulrich von Pottenstein.

Part of Lében—the German word for “life”—my pieces explore the hidden connections between nature, growth, and the stories we tell ourselves through symbols, patterns, and color. I hope these works encourage you to pause, reflect, and discover your own meaning within them.

If you’re in South Florida, I’d love for you to experience the exhibition.

🗓️ June 26 – August 28, 2026📍ArtServe | Fort Lauderdale, FL

Thank you to ArtServe and everyone who helped bring this exhibition to life. 💚🌿

07/05/2026

✨ I’m honored to be part of The Art of Language exhibition at ArtServe.

While visiting the exhibition, I spent time with the beautiful illuminated manuscripts on display, such as The Book of Kells and Les Grandes Heures du Duc de Berry. My own work in the exhibition was inspired by the visual language found in these illuminated manuscripts, particularly the illustrations in manuscripts of the works of medieval Austrian author and cleric Ulrich von Pottenstein.

Part of Lében—the German word for “life”—my pieces explore the hidden connections between nature, growth, and the stories we tell ourselves through symbols, patterns, and color. I hope these works encourage you to pause, reflect, and discover your own meaning within them.

If you’re in South Florida, I’d love for you to experience the exhibition.

🗓️ June 26 – August 28, 2026
📍 ArtServe | Fort Lauderdale, FL

Thank you to ArtServe/ArtServe and everyone who helped bring this exhibition to life. 💚🌿