Born and raised in Effingham County, Melody Lewis left Illinois after college, spending 23 years in Orlando, Florida, and nine years in Northern California before returning home in 2024. Her lifelong creativity began with a simple love of doodling.
“I have always doodled since childhood,” Lewis said. “I accepted any blank space as a personal challenge that the space needed to be filled.”
Over the years, painting remained an outlet, from school play backdrops and signage to a cartoon character painted on her father’s hot rod and an entire school bus for a martial arts school.
At 50, after her children had grown up, a painting class reignited her passion.
“I took a paint class, and it ignited that old flame in me,” she said. “It made me realize I once had a passion for painting.”
Today, Lewis draws inspiration from beauty, simplicity and nature, often turning photographs or emotional moments into paintings.
“Anytime I see a photo or something that stirs an emotion in me, I think, ‘Could I paint that?’” she said. “Could I do it justice? Even if I can’t, I do my best to recreate it onto the canvas with my twist to capture that emotion.”
For Lewis, art is also a way to connect with others and spark conversation.
“Art is a statement piece for people to open a conversation,” she said. “The artist is putting it out there, knowing it will be judged — some good, some bad — making it extremely personal. We understand it’s not for everyone. No one ever sees it the way we see it.”
Lewis focuses on capturing the beauty she sees in the world and sharing that perspective with others.
The art exhibit is free and a library card is not required to view it.
Contact Art Gallery Coordinator Oran Colwell at 217-342-2464 or oran@effinghamlibrary.org for more information.