Melanie Bess

Hey friend, I'm Melanie.

I’m a multi-passionate artist and The Swimming Owl is my illustration business.

As a mom to a young kiddo, I often squeeze my creative time in after bedtime...

Painting by the light of the moon.

Ok, fine… it’s actually a daylight lamp but I liked the sound of “painting by the light of the moon” better.

Most evenings, you can find me painting, coloring, or creating on my over-sized teacher’s desk in my living room while watching some new guilty pleasure on Netflix. I create coloring books, stickers, clip art, picture book illustrations, watercolor paintings, and so much more.  I just love to create and I want to be your creative cheerleader too.

My favorite motifs are usually inspired by the natural world and my childhood with a whimsical twist. I love ALLLLL the colors… but I keep finding my way back to pinks, aqua, and turquoise. You just can’t help but smile when that combo is on your paper!

If you would like to hear directly from me when I drop new classes, release new coloring books, and products, or run sales - join my e-mail list below.  You will get TWENTY free coloring pages just for signing up! 

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