Melissa Ayr, born in New York, is an abstract painter that changes her environment and uses the materials around her to create her art in the moment. From oils, to acrylics, to inks, to chalks, to watercolors, each painting has its own story. Melissa’s work is mostly created using her fingers, hands, breasts, and her body. Melissa is inspired by the lives and art of "Picasso":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Picasso, "Pollock":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_pollock, "Kandinsky":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandinsky, "Frankenthaler":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenthaler, "Chagall":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagall, "Da Vinci":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_vinci, "Monet":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monet, & "Degas":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degas.

Melissa's near-death experience greatly impacted her; she was hit by a car while crossing the street in San Francisco and fell into a coma for a week. This life-altering experience provides an overflowing source of creativity. To Melissa, Art is a lifestyle; an experience that raises expectations.

Melissa’s art is represented in collections in France, UK, Sweden, Australia, China and the United States. Melissa was recently selected as one of ten artists from the United States to be represented at "Art Basel"http://basel.artbasel.com in Miami and "Art Platform"http://www.artplatform-losangeles.com in Los Angeles by "Ruinart Champagne":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruinart_(Champagne), a brand of "Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey":http://www.lvmh.com/. Over the summer Melissa Ayr was invited by the International Child Art Foundation to speak at the "World Art Olympiad":http://www.icaf.org/whatwedo/artsolympiad.php in Washington DC.