About me
I paint what my heart wants and needs.
My why
Art has saved my life. It gave me purpose, It brought light into my world.
I paint what my conscience wants & desires. Often it is joy, happiness, lightness, sometimes its calm, its peace.
I paint what my heart wants and needs.
To stand in front of a finished piece gives me strength, courage & a sense of victory – I triumphed the void.
To be able to leave some of me in this world is a wonderous gift that I wholeheartedly take & cherish.
My story
My name is Rinat Melton. I currently live & work in the Chicagoland area.
I was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. This young, struggling country was the backdrop to my life, the lows, the highs, the wars, the longing for peace – just a little bit of peace.
Looking back, it seems there were quite a few set backs – Divorced parents, Financial struggles, Loneliness, Managing on my own as a young child, even ending up in a boarding school – away from my family.
Not fear though, and never hopelessness. I guess it’s true, whatever doesn’t break you – makes you stronger.
My father, Shlomo Levy (lomolev.com) is a prolific Master painter who has dedicated his entire life to the Arts. Although he lived in Paris and we had the distance of miles between us, he inspired me greatly and planted the seeds of creativity in my mind. My mother was a very successful Israeli fashion designer with on trend lines of children’s clothing. There was art in every corner of my childhood home and it impacted all aspects of my life. As a child I was always drawing, doodling cartoons of my classmates, creating yearbooks, logos for school events, stage decor for shows and jumped on every opportunity that afforded me a creative outlet. I knew early on that Art was my gift.
Then, life happened.
My love for art took a backseat to my new life in America and the family that I created.
With the birth of my 4th child 10 years ago I decided to start a small business bringing art back into my life. I began working as a face painter for parties and special events in my community. My business flourished quickly and this gave me a boost of self-confidence I didn’t even realize I needed. With more requests and some free time I expanded and started offering Art parties as well.
I missed being Rinat, the Artist, and it was so wonderful to bring my two inner worlds together.
I always kept a small Art area in my home, where I would teach my own children. It was important for me to share my love and passion for art with my children. This also allowed me to paint for pleasure when I had the luxury of time. I painted pieces for the walls of my home, then the walls in the homes of my friends and family, always wishing I could paint more.
My business continued to grow and a few years ago I turned my basement into a studio. I started offering private Art lessons to children. It was another step in the right direction! In my larger space, I could house more supplies and larger canvases and had more inspiration to create. With Covid I decided to move my studio out of my home. I found a wonderful commercial space and was able to commit my time to painting daily.
I feel incredibly blessed to bring art, my love and passion, to the forefront of my life. It’s true, being a mother was, is, and always will be the center of my life, but who said I can’t have Art as well? I love the freedom that comes with Abstract Art and it is liberating to know there is no wrong way. I create pieces that bring me joy, pull me in, and provide interest.