About Melinda

Award winning illustrator, Melinda Fabian, creates realistic, yet whimsical paper sculptures that brightens each viewer’s day. Melinda has more than 30 years of experience as a freelance illustrator for magazines and publishing companies, created an award-winning line of Can You Find?® hidden object greeting cards, games and jigsaw puzzles.  

Melinda’s signature art features paper sculpture designs, which combine watercolor and gouache illustrations and three-dimensional hand-sculpted paper elements into one-of-a-kind art pieces. These new designs literally jump off the page, causing viewers to do a double take upon realizing they’re not just flat paintings.

"In 2012, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and didn’t have the energy to continue with my illustrating," says Melinda.  "During my recovery, I explored new options for my art and combined my love of paper with my love of illustration and began to experiment with paper sculpture.  The results are my 3D paper sculptures that are painted to give them the illusion of being real."

Each piece is made entirely out of paper — from the little ants marching across the stem of a flower to the sand on the beach. Every detail in the paintings is given careful attention.  

With a dash of humor to touch the hearts of those who experience her work, Melinda seamlessly blends paper and paint to bring her artwork to life. Her paper sculpture illustrations have won awards in many galleries.  

"I love taking a simple sheet of paper, cutting, folding, bending, and forming it into unique shapes and creating life-like objects. I find most of my inspiration from nature and you will see that influences many of my pieces. Much of the work is tedious and takes many hours, however I get lost in the creation — I enjoy it that much. The really rewarding part is that when I’m finished, the reaction from those who see my work can’t believe it’s just paper. That’s how I know a piece is successful."

Melinda is a member of SCBWI, MPSGS, MASF and holds a BFA in Communication Design from Kutztown  University in Pennsylvania. 

Clients:

Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center
Augsburg Fortress
Carlisle Press
Carson-Dellosa Publishing
Children's Digest
Children's Television Workshop
Communication Resources, Inc.
Great Commission Publications
Highlights For Children Magazine
Marco Products
Nature Friend Magazine
Pockets Magazine
Print Concepts Inc.
Sesame Street Magazine

Exhibitions:

2021    88th International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, Mansion at Strathmore Bethesda, MD

2021    37th Annual Miniature Art Exhibit, Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, PA

2021    Invitational Gallery, Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

2021    Small Works Show and Sale, Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center - Solomons, MD

2020    Featured Artist at Paper Works Show, Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

2019    MPSGS 86th International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

2019    15th Annual Heartland Art Guild International Miniature Paintings & Sculptures Art Show, Miami County Historical Museum in Paola, KS

2019    Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC

2019    Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, WA

2019    Ridge Art Association Miniature Art Exhibition, Winter Haven, FL

2019    Miniature Art Society of Florida, Tarpon Springs, FL

2017    Large Scale: Miniature Artists Go Big, Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD

2017    Elizabeth Specht Memorial Miniature Show – Sierra Artists Gallery, Mariposa, CA

2016    Solo Exhibition, Havre de Grace, MD

2016    Lancaster County Art Association National Juried Exhibition, Strasburg, PA

2016    Chasing Paper, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Lake Oswego, OR

2016    Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA

2015    Artsfest 2015, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Dowell, MD

2014    Art Maryland 2014, Howard County Center for the Arts, Ellicott City, MD

2014    Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space, The Mitchell Gallery, Annapolis, MD

2013    Small Works Exhibit, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Dowell, MD

Click here for Melinda Fabian’s 2022 Resume