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Melissa Gay (she/her)

@melissagayyy.bsky.social

I am a neurodiverse LGBTQ+ artist passionate about sci-fi, fantasy, and wildlife art. Myths and legends of nature inspire me, as does science as it expands our view of the cosmos. I believe artwork = human work. Abolish ICE!

262 Posts1012 Follower674 Folgt
Changeling Artist Collective@changelingart.bsky.social · 2w ago

The Changelings’ SEP Auction “High Fantasy” is OPEN! Here be dragons, fairies, & more to delight.🐉 Check the auction album on our FB page for instructions on how to bid. Auction ends this FRI, 9/18! Help our Collective out by commenting, Liking, & resharing this post. Support human artists!

An owl donned in knight's armor swoops down from the sky. Art by Elisabeth Alba.A redheaded girl kneels next to a small golden dragon. Art by Melissa Gay.A dragon hatchling clutches a penny. Art by Heather Hudson.A surreal grayscale image of an ancient king enthroned within a city. Art by Jayde Hilliard.
Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Dragon Con was so much fun!!! Thanks to everyone who made it by my booth, I appreciate you all! Big hugs to all my fellow artists, too, and of course the amazing Art Show staff and volunteers! All of you together made this my best Dragon Con ever!!!

Me in my booth, surrounded by print displays, framed prints, and original paintings both large and small.30 small original paintings in a tight display! Both sci-fi and fantasy paintings are on display, along with a small artist statement about my space art.Original character paintings hung in the Art Show section, all from the Surviving Strangehollow TTRPG from Accidental Cyclops Games, based on the amazing watercolor world created by Emily Hare.
Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · 3mo ago

YAY, the Bugs and Beasties event is here!!! This is one of my favorite sets our collective has fielded in 2026! I somehow mentally blanked on the Beasties part of the theme and painted a Bug freshly this weekend! :D Mine is "Dragonfly Ascending," acrylic, watercolor, and Micron pens. 4x6"

Changeling Artist Collective@changelingart.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The Changelings' July Auction "Bugs & Beasties 6" is LIVE! Peruse art of critters & creatures, magical & mundane. This is an artist-ran endeavor. Help us spread the word with a repost! Find the auction album on FB: www.facebook.com/share/1CiYmEBHWH/ #artauctions #artcollectors #tradart #animalart

Banner art for the auction featuring an insect surrounded by decorative guard accents by Rachel Quinlan.
Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Our Wanderlust event is LIVE! You can bid on these artworks until noon on Friday EST! Everyone's art is so evocative it's making me want to travel!

Changeling Artist Collective@changelingart.bsky.social · 6mo ago

The Changeling Artist Collective's April 2026 "Wanderlust"⛵ auction is LIVE! Check the auction album on our Facebook page for instructions on how to bid. This Collective is an artist-ran endeavor. Help us out by Liking, sharing, & commenting! #artauction #artsale #whimsicalart #artcollectors

A traveler ventures into mysterious ruins. Art by Jennifer Bruce.
Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · last yr.

This right here. Humans react how they train to react, so train yourself on this phrase. NO KINGS

molly conger@socialistdogmom.bsky.social · last yr.

i want you to practice saying it. “i am invoking my right to remain silent and will not answer questions without an attorney present.” say it out loud. it sounds so simple but when the moment comes, you forget. you’ll be stressed, scared, confused, & want to explain yourself. don’t. it won’t help.

Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · last yr.

WOW!!! Due to insomnia, I lucked into an astronomical event! Venus bigger than I've EVER seen it in the East, about 6 degrees above the horizon, while the thinnest sliver of a crescent moon rises to the left! BREATHTAKING! <3 <3 <3

Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · last yr.

New painting! Two of Swords for "ARCANUM: Painting the Fates" at Valkarie Gallery (@valkariegallery on social media) in Colorado. What do you do when you find yourself between the devil and the deep blue sea? I think none of us know for sure until we're there ourselves. Alt text for the full story.

A dark-haired woman stands blindfolded, in front of the sea, holding two crossed swords under a crescent moon. This is a painting for all the people displaced or endangered by the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, reproductive rights and health, Trans personhood, Indigenous peoples, and all the families affected. My Two of Swords card is a symbol for all who have been forced to make difficult choices within a landscape of ever-shifting policies, and having to make judgement calls while blinded by a lack of information. What do you do when you find yourself between the devil and the deep blue sea? I think none of us know for sure until we're there ourselves. The figure in the painting wears a friendship bracelet crafted by Cherokee Copper artist Greg Stice, which I gave to my best friend in celebration of her achieving her level 3 Cherokee language certificate. Although Native, she is in danger of being swept up in an ICE raid and deported because she cannot pass for white. It was her decision to leave her home and relocate to a safer state that inspired me to paint this.
Sapling 🌱@sacredsapling.bsky.social · last yr.

The art industry is extra hard for traditional artists so: 🎉 Let’s do a traditional art #PortfolioDay share! 🎉 Link to your portfolio day post below and I’ll share a bunch today! Any traditional media is welcome (2D or 3D). 👉 Not a traditional artist? Please boost and help us out ✨

A photo of a WIP watercolor sketchbook page showing a cute Black man with long dreadlocks smiling in a colorful high fashion shirt. A color palette sheet is next to the sketchbook. It reads ‘Traditional Artist Portfolio Day Share’ over top of the photo.
Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · 2y ago

My painting "Dryad Wakes From a Dream" got selected to be in the vol. 13 IBA annual!!! I am thrilled, because I love her, obviously, but also I literally never know which of my pieces is going to resonate with an art jury, LOL. Acrylic on Strathmore 500, 12x18".

A luminous face, painted in yellows, turquoises, and touches of red, emerges from beneath the mossy blanket of a forest floor. She is crowned in branches or upturned tree roots, and gazing dreamily up at the world. A leaf dangles from a cobweb near where her ear would be, as if an ornament or jewelry. Ferns curl next to her face, and mushrooms sprout near her shoulder. The forest behind her is orange-hued, to suggest she could be waking either to a sunlit world, or to the foreshadowing of a world on fire.
Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · 2y ago

I was at CONpossible in Duluth, GA, this past weekend, and it was SO FUN!! Mad props to the organizers. They had a ton of programming, a tea room, lots of vendors and authors, and WONDERFUL fans! An absolute treat to be around! The weekend just flew by, and I hope I get to go again next year! ❤️

Me, Melissa Gay, in front of some of my artMy vendor booth display for CONpossible! Paintings to the back, prints to the sides, and merch to the front, with my Trans Ally flag on proud display.Another view of my vendor space, this time showing the flip bin bearing the 13x19" prints, all the way to the right. My table runner has honey bees on it, because that's what my name means. :)
Melissa Gay (she/her)@melissagayyy.bsky.social · 2y ago

Thanks for the artshare, @artbyemilyhare.bsky.social ! 💚 I'd like to share this piece today, "Ritual Space", acrylic over watercolor on Strathmore 500 illustration board, 12" x 18". @amandamakepeace.bsky.social is my awesome model!

A woman with long black hair dressed in earth tones sits before a moss-covered rock with a black feather on it, like an offering left on an altar. Behind her are the gnarled roots of a long-ago upturned tree stump. In her right hand she holds a sapling staff. Her left wrist and hand is wrapped in a leather cord, and she holds a crow or raven skull. There is a stark contrast between the warmth of her skin and the coolness of the hazy blue-green environment. the altarstone sits in a pool of water swirling with autumn leaves.
Emily Hare@emilyhare.com · 2y ago

5K ARTSHARE! Thank you everyone! Amazing! Let's share loads of art shall we? 💜 Post your art 💜 Repost this for visibility 💜 Invite friends and support other artists 💜 Human artist only, no Ai, no NFTs 💜 SFW please I'll share my faves 😀 #artshare #thankyou #shareyourart #artist

watercolour painting of a witch in a huge pointy brown hat with feathers in it (the point is tipped down to the left). It has a huge brim and she is looking out from under the brim and she has calm violet eyes and her hair is fluffy and white. Her gown is voluminous and covers her neck. She is sitting and you can see a leather bound book in her lap which is open and she is writing in it with one of her hands. The text on the image says artshare 5k and emilyhare.co.uk