Melissa Lea

Melissa Lea Simmons (b.1967) is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire, USA. She attended public schools in Manchester, NH and achieved her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education with NH State Certification from Southern NH University in 2005.

After a 25 year career serving her community through businesses and education, she took a 15 year hiatus to heal from a debilitating chronic disease. During that time of recovery, she learned how to cook healthy meals, grow and preserve food, and enjoy a simpler life.

Melissa Lea and her husband, Rick (m.1999) built their 'forever home' in 2019, in the same town that they've lived in for over 30 years, Barrington. In January 2021, while painting their basement walls, Melissa decided she wanted to keep painting, and continued painting giant colorful murals around the basement. By April, she knew that she was ready to return to the workforce, and chose professional artist as her new career.

As a self-taught fine artist, Melissa Lea has created a body of work, exhibited her art in galleries locally, regionally, and internationally online. She has received awards, has her work published, and is a member of several professional art associations. Her joyful energy and zest for the goodness of life is evident in all that she creates.

Intuition guides my artistic choices as I play with color, line, and shape to craft space, movement, and sentiment. Frequently, my original artworks feature recognizable elements like floral arrangements and landscapes, yet they all stem from imagination and intuition. The expressive application of my media conveys my zest for life, the love of family, a sense of whimsy, and our shared connections.

NH

United States