Meet Melissa Van Der Veen of Pineapple and Pen in Highland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Van Der Veen.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a small town in Northern California, think hillbillies, foothills, and cows. Growing up in Amador City gave me a deep appreciation for wild things and nature. I grew up riding horses and running wild with my dogs(both of which helped teach me the most important life lessons).

I am infinitely inspired by the creatures and plants around me and when life got tricky and humans in my life were not being their best selves I would find friendship and peace among all the trees and animals. The forest never scared me however I have a profound respect for the wildness of it. I remember humans that looked more like monsters than anything in the forest but what I remember most is my magical, badass creative mom always working her butt off so that I could do creative things. She saw that I existed in the world in a place just on the edge of reality and imagination and encouraged me. We would go to the craft store and she always supported my random choice. I never picked the same craft I always wanted to learn new mediums. Some days it would be beads and jewelry, sometimes paint, sometimes clay (she helped me bake so many clay figurines that looking back make me appreciate her patience so very much, haha!) Being able to play with so many kinds of materials kind of gave me this chaotic approach to art where if I don’t know how to do something I just wing it and usually it works out. If it happens to not work out that’s okay too, it’s the adventure that’s important. Her supporting me being the creative goofball that I am allowed me to go to art school. I studied animation which kind of makes me laugh now.

One of my favorite teachers Ed told me I should illustrate children’s books and I resisted that idea because animation was supposed to be more ‘practical’ to get a job in. I had a few absolutely wonderful teachers, I met one of my best friends there. I had a great time. Then I moved to the middle of Hollywood (if you’re reading this don’t do that, literally any other neighborhood, okay?) and I applied to what felt like every animation studio there was and I got no after no. It shook me up, I’m pretty sensitive and I told my sweetheart Austin that I wanted to take a break from the city and move to San Luis Obispo to reset my brain. So we did. While I was there, I was just drawing and painting when I wasn’t working at Starbucks, I was pretty down on myself but the friends I had there built me up and one of them accidentally told a customer of his that I was an illustrator and gave her my number. Long story short she ended up being my first illustration book client. Back to my chaotic approach to art of, ‘well I’m not sure but here we go’. As soon as I opened my mind to doing illustration I met person after person in San Luis Obispo who liked my art and would order little things like family portraits or pet portraits and I LOVED IT.

I was hooked, I love the idea that I can bring someone’s dream to life for them. Austin I moved back to Los Angeles (Highland Park this time)and I was working at Starbucks still and when people would ask me what I did (because I’m a goofy happy person who believes in the power of a little bit of love given to another so I was a very animated barista) I would say, I’m an illustrator. Since then I’ve quit Starbucks, I’m in Seattle right now and I work on a friendly(meaning no one there gets eaten) city farm where I teach people about the horses and other animals I get to take care of there, in a way I feel like I’m paying my animals friends back for teaching me how to be a good human, and I’ve finished that first beautiful poetry book I had the privilege to work on, I’ve been creating images for two other wonderful books with some clients I love. So now here I am being an artist, being an illustrator and I’m still figuring it out and I’ve never been happier.

Has it been a smooth road?
Yes and no, haha! Art is a tricky one because it takes a lot from me sometimes and being as sensitive as I am that can be rough. I’ve had people tell me that my art is cute and naive and that used to piss me off so much because it felt like they would cheapen the light and goodness the world has to offer that I wanted to show them. Now, it just kinda makes me smile because I know that their heart and mind just might latch onto some of the magic and whimsy I put into my art. After college was the hardest. I got so many ‘nopes’ that it makes it hard to put yourself out there again but my Austin (that’s my husband) told me one time, it’s okay to get a no because something is out there that you will love and maybe that no right now is saving you from something you’re not going to like. I think the rejection and doubt that comes along with the no is the hardest part. I couldn’t feed the doubt that will inevitably come up when I got a rejection. I’ve learned now that I have to sit in that space for a short time and then move on and say okay that wasn’t for me let’s go find what is. Almost as soon as I decided to let go of a box I put myself in, this idea that I had to be in an animation studio or nothing, it got a lot smoother. I’m still learning and hitting little bumps but now when I hit a bump I just like to tell myself it’s a plot twist and keep on walking.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Oooh! Good question! I paint with watercolor and gouache. That’s my specialty, I do it in my own way which my best friend Emily tells me she loves so that makes me happy because she’s a phenomenal artist herself. I kinda paint the painting backwards and don’t follow any of the rules painting wants me to follow so, I’m really good at that, haha! I paint things, be it humans or creatures that show us the best the world has to offer, not because I ignore the dark but because there is enough dark and I’m known for showing people the light that exists in every moment around them. I use a lot of color and I paint things I care about so I’m known for bringing a lot of life through my illustrations. I’m most proud of the fact that I’ll get messages or texts from clients and they usually say, ‘wow I can see them moving but they aren’t’ or ‘oh my gosh this is exactly what I had in my head but more magical’ my proudest moment is when someone sent me a text saying, ‘the art you made for me reminded me there is more life to live and that my adventure isn’t over’ I’m always trying to show people that they aren’t alone and that life can be a colorful adventure so when I touch someone’s heart or dream because of my art that makes me really proud.

What sets me apart…hmmm.. maybe that fact that in a digital time I still choose to use paint. I could easily do digital but I like the idea of my clients being able to feel the paper and the paint. I also paint in a chaotic way so that usually makes my art stand out, there is almost always a lot of personality that my characters want to get out so I let them and I think when someone looks at my art it shows and maybe that’s what makes me unique, I feel the characters are in my mind and they tell me how they want to look and be seen and then I do that.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Oh my gosh. Los Angeles. She’s great. I like that she’s a city full of people who are trying their hardest to chase their dreams and goals. I love the energy of being in a place so full of humans trying their best to achieve what their heart longs for, that’s magical. There isn’t a lot of complacency in Los Angeles and I love that. I love that as an extrovert I can sit in a coffee shop and make a friend and ask them about their dreams and they have one! People always have an answer and they will share it. There is also a feeling of connection in the idea that following an intention is hard and when you fall you have friends who get the struggle. That’s an amazing feeling. What do I like least about the city, oh man. I think the loneliness people can feel here. It’s a big place with big energy and that can be really dark if you aren’t ready for it and don’t have a supportive group to help you up when you fall.

Pricing:

• $40/hr
• $200 7×10 Watercolor Original Commission
• $70 9×12 Ink Original Commission

Contact Info:

• Website: pineappleandpen.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @pineappleandpen
• Twitter: @penandpineapple

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