Melissa Riley is an emerging artist reviving her commitment to painting after a 35-year teaching career including 15 years teaching art. The long time away from her craft has made her more excited than ever to experiment and play around with her paintings.
Although many of her pieces are somewhat representational in nature, her goal is to portray imagined landscapes more abstractly. The shape and color of the landscape as a whole are of most interest to her. As an evolving artist, she is striving for a loose, relaxed, abstract style but finding that that is much easier said than done.
“Whether real or imagined in an expressionistic or abstract style, I characterize my work as explorations in paint aspiring to make a connection with my creative spirit. What is important is how the actual paint, colors and the manner in which shapes I create interact with the techniques and styles I am exploring. Using oil paints and most often just working with a palette knife I am searching for the essence of a place.”— Missy Riley
Although many of her pieces are somewhat representational in nature, her goal is to portray imagined landscapes more abstractly. The shape and color of the landscape as a whole are of most interest to her. As an evolving artist, she is striving for a loose, relaxed, abstract style but finding that that is much easier said than done.
“Whether real or imagined in an expressionistic or abstract style, I characterize my work as explorations in paint aspiring to make a connection with my creative spirit. What is important is how the actual paint, colors and the manner in which shapes I create interact with the techniques and styles I am exploring. Using oil paints and most often just working with a palette knife I am searching for the essence of a place.”— Missy Riley
Available Works- click on images for full view
"Last Full Moon Before Darkness"
$175.00
Sold out
16"x 12" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in thin black frame.
"Dawn's Respite"
$300.00
Sold out
20"x 16" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in black floater frame.
"Last One Standing"
$175.00
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8"x 10" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in silver frame.
"Narragansett Bay"
$300.00
16"x 20" original oil painting on canvas by Melissa Riley in distressed white frame. Depicts a serene ocean scene.
19.5"x 23.5" framed size
"Storm Clearing"
$500.00
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16"x 20" original oil painting on canvas by Melissa Riley in distressed white frame. Depicts an impression of sunlight appearing after a storm.
19.5"x 23.5" framed size
"Bungay Basin"
$500.00
12"x 24" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in silver frame. A monochromatic study of white pines on the marsh.
15"x 29" approx. framed size
"Into the Bay"
$200.00
7"x 13.5" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in silver frame. A quiet imagined landscape with lots of diagonals .
8"x 15" approx. framed size
"Bowen's Brook"
$250.00
11"x 14" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in distressed white frame. An imagined landscape with a palette-knife sky.
13.5"x 16.5" approx. framed size
"Wind Passing Through"
$175.00
4"x 14" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in thin black frame. Depicts contrasting sky with marsh.
4.5"x 14.5" approx. framed size
"Cotton Candy Clouds"
$160.00
6"x 6" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in grey frame. Palette knife painting creating lots of texture. Can be hung on wall or placed freestanding on surface with included dowel
7.5"x 7.5" approx. framed size
"Morning Wind"
$160.00
6"x 6" original oil painting on panel by Melissa Riley in thin black frame. Palette knife painting of imagined landscape creating lots of texture.
7.5"x 7.5" approx. framed size