Visual Language Artspan Interview Spotlight with Melissa Post van der Burg November 2013
When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be an artist? When I was 9 years old, my third grade teacher asked me to be the official class artist—my job was to illustrate the book reports written by my classmates. I loved the responsibility and feeling kind of special because I was actually good at something.
Who has been your mentor, or greatest influence to date? Well, living in Maine, I would have to say Andrew Wyeth, although, sadly, he passed away a few years ago. But his work has been very important to me—especially the fact that he stayed so “close to home” in his subject matter. Many of his models actually grew up in his work. I think Wyeth’s work has given me permission to not stray too far from the images and people I know. And, of course, he set a great example in his work ethic.
