Instructor

I'm glad you are here

Hi. I'm Melanie, an Indigenous portrait artist, and I teach online art classes to thousands of women around the world. I help women learn to love their creative time, so they can consistently show up for themselves and experience more joy, relaxation, and energy in their daily lives. I am a trained Expressive Arts Practitioner and experienced educator of 28 years. I am from the Squamish First Nation in Vancouver, Canada and I draw from my traditional ancestry and teachings in my art practice and lessons. I provide gentle guidance and encouragement for women, so they can experience the medicines of art and build their own unique artistic voice. I believe in you.

Melanie Rivers

Supplies

These are the supplies I used. Please adapt to what you have on hand:

  • Pencil and eraser
  • 3" x 3", wood panel or other substrate
  • Golden ultramarine blue, cadmium red light, paynes grey
  • Amsterdam titatium white
  • Golden white gesso
  • Shaping tool
  • Roller
  • Golden matte gel medium
  • Assorted filbert brushes 5/0, 4
  • 1" and 1/2" flat brush
  • Scissors
  • Letter stamps
  • Distress permanent mixed media ink in black soot
  • Butterfly image



Butterfly Lesson Video

Continue Your Journey with Me

Create Soulful Portraits

Join me in my monthly membership to create portraits with emotion, aliveness and expression. Find confidence and ease in your ability to create soulful portraits and build your skills along the way. Create art inspired by this beautiful earth and what it has to teach us. Join for one month or stick around for as long as you would like.