I’m Melissa Osburn, a Tennessee mixed media artist making illustrations and patterns meant for walls, fabric, paper, and gifts. My work comes from a life spent outdoors and inside spaces — first in the backyard as a child, then in the profession of interior design, and now through my sketchbooks.

That path led to a degree in interior design and years of residential and commercial work, learning how colors, patterns, and finishes behave in real spaces. When I was in design school, wallpaper was still painted by hand and then printed. That memory is what drew me into surface pattern design. When my children were in school and I wanted the flexibility to work from home, I followed the construction side of design and spent many years inspecting commercial buildings and construction sites. I learned to see all sides of a structure — foundations, framing, materials, and wear — not only as finished interiors.

In 2014 I moved to western North Carolina and owned a general store on the Cherohala Skyway. Campers, fishermen, motorcycles, and car clubs came in off the mountain road. Scenery, souvenirs, and a deli made it a welcome center: a free cup of coffee, a smile, and hospitality as a daily practice. That is where a love of the outdoors and of making art came back to the center of my life.

I returned to Tennessee in 2021. To get grounded in my new community, I kept hiking, started traveling more, and built a studio around capturing nature’s intricate details — work that can create a welcoming atmosphere, be given as a gift, and complement a gathering space. I design with an interiors eye. The work moves through nature, architecture, travel, and cuisine, always with the space in mind.

I want the work to invite conversation and bring the beauty of the outdoors in. I hope it makes your spaces feel welcoming and ready for hosting, and makes gift giving feel easier.