Melanie Florio is an artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles.  She loves bringing stories to life through drawing and painting .  Her primary medium is oil paint, and all of the images in Kip Dreams Big: An Ocean Adventure were painted in oils on illustration board.  She continued her education at the Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD) where she specialized in drawing and painting and received her MFA in 2007. 

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Her love of illustration is primarily what drew her to pursue art as a young child, and it has been a dream come true to be able to make art her career.  She also encourages others to confidently create through private instruction and at teaching at various colleges in the Los Angeles area.

She is a mother of two, and one of her greatest joys is seeing her children react to the pictures she makes.  Working on the pictures for Allison's story Kip Dreams Big: An Ocean Adventure was an amazing experience, and it is Melanie's hope that children will enjoy the images as much as she enjoyed creating them. 

 

To contact Melanie email her at melanie@‍‍‍melanieflorio.com or visit her webpage at www.melanieflorio.com.