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“I’m a huge fan of 1911s, shooting them, the styling and simplicity, and then as a canvas, engraving them. “If I had to choose one (favorite), it would probably be the ‘When the Levee Breaks’ Cabot,” she said. She considers the Cabot gun one of her favorites, and for good reason. One of the first pieces I saw was the “When the Levee Breaks” Cabot 1911. More than likely you have seen her work, and it is incredible. Of all her work, though, it is her gun engraving that ultimately led me to seek out this interview. Also, I like to have multiple projects going at once so I can vary my workload both mentally and physically.” Fan Favorite I still do leatherwork on a commission basis, but I’ve limited that significantly, just a project here and there to keep in the mix. “I still pinstripe, oil paint, carve and sculpt on occasion, but rarely take commissions, something just for fun. Melissa prefers metalwork, while still keeping a few other irons in the fire. “John and I became great friends and I consider him my biggest mentor in the art,” she said. However, after a year or two ultimately sought out the help of a master and ended up learning from John Barraclough. Like many of us, she tried her best at self-teaching. “I can’t pinpoint an exact moment or thing, but growing up in Kansas, my father was an avid shooter and I’m guessing at some point through going to shows and gun club meetings with him I saw an engraved gun somewhere and it lodged itself in my subconscious,” she said.Īs a gun owner, Melissa said her need to embellish and customize them took hold. To many, including myself, it is a curiosity as to what led her to the art of engraving. From LA they headed to Florida, where she now runs her successful business. After she met her now husband, they decided to head to LA again and launch her career as an artist. “During that time, I continued to pinstripe and do leatherwork, and also picked up engraving as a hobbyist, honing my skills nights and weekends,” she said. Even with that career, she never really left her art behind. She ultimately went back into the science world and worked in the biotech industry for 15 years. “Once I started painting motorcycles and cars, that led me to move to California, Los Angeles specifically, the epicenter of Kustom Kulture arts, and I worked for Harley Davidson for about a year while painting on the side.”
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“While I was in college, I wrote for a small motorcycle magazine and became enthralled with pinstriping and traditional hot rod arts, such as hand lettering, pinups and flame jobs,” she said.