
Melissa Washburn is an illustrator and designer specializing in food and nature illustration. She grew up in upstate New York in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, but has lived in the Midwest since 1996. Her fascination with things that run, fly, and grow has led to commissions from the Dunes National Park, Smithsonian Magazine, Edible Magazine, and three books in the Draw Like an Artist series from Quarto Group Publishing.
In 2019 Melissa earned her Indiana Master Naturalist certification through Gabis Arboretum and the Indiana DNR, and enjoys learning as much as she can about the natural world. When not making art you can find her coaching nature events for her school district’s Science Olympiad team, hiking in many of Indiana’s beautiful state and national parks, or enjoying a good cup of coffee.