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POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Guests got the chance to meet-and-greet the Point Pleasant Beach Cultural Arts Committee’s current featured artist, Melissa Hood, at borough hall prior to the committee’s Monday, Feb. 12 meeting. They were invited to mingle with other art enjoyers and ask questions of the artist.
Much of Point Pleasant Borough native Ms. Hood’s work featured at Monday’s “Meet the Artist” reception can be found in her recent children’s book, “Sweet Dreams Sandcastle,” a goodnight book with high-contrast illustrations and surreal, almost psychedelic coloring.
“Melissa — in addition to being a teacher and a mother — is a prolific artist,” said Judy Van Brunt, vice president of the arts committee. She said that the committee chose Ms. Hood because she produces “really colorful, vibrant…unique and different art.”
While Ms. Hood is known for her beach-themed pieces — she recently released her first fully-illustrated kids’ book, “Sweet Dreams Sandcastle” — Ms. Van Brunt said her landscape portraiture in general is particularly well-crafted.
“Aside from beachy themes…she’s got some really beautiful mountainous snow scenes; I love those,” she said. “Melissa has been really great working with our committee and helping us with lots of different things.”
Ms. Hood said that her first attempts at art were generally limited to rainy days and casual colorings.
“I always liked drawing when I was a kid. We didn’t have cell phones; nothing. We passed the time, if it was raining…you could color or you could sew something,” she said of the limited options for kids to occupy themselves when bored.
However, she explained that art initially did not interest her as much as other things, taking her first formal class on a whim due to a crush. “Then, I took my first art class because a cute boy was in the art class. I thought maybe if I took the class then we’d be in class together. And we were, but then we didn’t actually get along very well and we had to spend the whole year in class together.”
She said that while her crush never developed, her love of art did. The Point Boro alumna partially credited art teacher and fellow arts committee volunteer Sheila Soyster with nurturing her skills.
“I met the art teacher, Ms. Soyster…that was my first art teacher. And who better to start your art life with?” she said. Ms. Hood now works as an art teacher herself for Ocean County Vocational Technical School District, having obtained a bachelor degree in art and secondary education, as well as a master’s degree in studio art from New York University.
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