Look around and you’ll hardly find a self-made person being born with a silver spoon. Self-made people, as the name goes, are the ones behind their own success. Starting off with unfavorable circumstances and having achieved success and prominence through one’s own efforts is an achievement of its own. And a beau ideal, in this case, is Melissa Falconer, aka M. Falconer, a visual artist from Toronto who prides herself in being a self-made creator, owing her success to the hard work and consistency she puts towards her goals.
The pop-art maestro, Melissa Falconer, is one of the few artists who have decoded the relationship between culture and art and are able to clearly translate it through their artwork. Her inspirational pop art is deeply inspired by Black culture and her experiences as a Black woman. The visual artist’s unique artwork tells stories of lived experiences that unlock a deeper level of connectivity with the onlookers. However, Melissa had to come a long way to get her artwork recognized and appreciated.
No, she did not have any artistic background. Neither did she grow up on the premises of an art gallery. Melissa did not even have enough money to buy herself art supplies. It was her passion and love for art and creativity that led her to dive into the world of art. Consistency and hard work then furthered her way to success and achievements.
Being a first-generation Canadian, Melissa hails from Jamaica, the country her parents left in search of a better life. Growing up, she was always creative and artistic. Even the lack of circumstances couldn’t hold back her passion. She would frequently start art projects using scraps from around the house, making paper mache crafts, puppets, drawings, kites, and anything that piqued her creative interest.
Depressed and fed up with her university program, Melissa took up painting at the end of her university’s second year in 2014 and started making portraits, the first one being of her mom for mother’s day. Her artwork quickly drew attention as people started offering to pay for her paintings, leading her to monetize her art passion for the first time.
So from then on, it was one thing after the other for the passionate artist. Between painting every day, posting her artwork on Instagram, and doing live paintings at university events, Melissa soon ended up building her own website that is now home to her inspirational and hand-painted prints, apparel, and stickers. Later, she was getting orders for her paintings all over Canada and the US.
Melissa went full-time into her art business after graduating in 2017. From investing in her own large printer and heading two part-time employees, Melissa has had many achievements to this day. On this journey to success, Melissa faced many obstacles and failures but didn’t let them have the best of her. Instead, she saw them as lessons necessary for growth – a mentality that led her to success.
Melissa’s personal story and artwork are a motivation for other artists and people of color to pursue their dreams and passion despite societal obstacles. Have a look at her inspirational pop art and portraits here and you’ll surely end up having one or two art pieces for yourself.
