Melissa Stephens began her art career in drawing, and then transitioned into print making. After a 12-year career printing and selling monotypes and linoleum block prints, she dabbled in acrylic painting while raising two resilient boys and moving her household every 4-5 years. In 2010, she discovered the magic of encaustic painting at Northwest Encaustic in West Seattle. It quickly became her new passion. “Encaustic” originates from the Greek word Enkaustikos, which means “to heat or burn in.” Heating (fusing) the encaustic paint changes the state, color and position of the brush strokes. This process and the gorgeous luminosity achieved with the clear encaustic medium allow Stephens to share her ideas and perceptions in the best way possible. The artist connects with viewers by interpreting her stories and traditions, and those that she encounters in her life. She learns from others, challenges her perceptions, and fully experiences new cultures in order to include the traditions and stories of others. Stephens believes in accessibility for the arts and is an ambassador for the arts as a public speaker, encaustic painting instructor, Art in a Suitcase volunteer, Valley Art Gallery Board member, art installation assistant and Director of Social Media for multiple galleries in the Bay Area. She is represented by Valley Art Gallery and the San Francisco Women Artists Gallery. In 2019, her work was part of an internationally juried exhibit at the Ontario Community Museum of Art in Ontario, CA.