Artwork copyright Melissa Madsen. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

Artwork copyright Melissa Madsen. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2021.

Blossom and Bug, 2002

Melissa Madsen
American (born 1960)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Blossom and Bug and its companion painting Thistle were inspired by early botanical engravings. The two paintings celebrate the rich attention to detail and compositional simplicity of those artworks. Artist Melissa Madsen notes that these paintings "were an exercise in observing the smaller aspects of our creature world."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Artist and illustrator Melissa Madsen (formerly Melissa Bale) creates artworks inspired by local nature and celebrating childish wonder. Madsen grew up in western Montana where she developed a love for its “pristine wilderness.” She spent some of her career in Eastern Washington before moving back to Montana.