Melanie Stimmell Van Latum is an American visual artist internationally recognized for her mastery of both fine art and large-scale street painting. Born in Los Angeles, California, she studied illustration and oil painting at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. Her early career included work as a lead technical director and background artist in animation—most notably for the Emmy Award–winning television series South Park—before she transitioned fully to a career in fine and public art.
Stimmell’s work bridges classical technique and contemporary imagination. In her fine art practice, she paints in oils and pastels, creating luminous figurative works that merge whimsy, surrealism, and a celebration of the feminine spirit. Her compositions often depict ethereal figures intertwined with natural and symbolic elements, rendered in a style that combines technical precision with dreamlike sensitivity.
As a street painter, Stimmell is regarded as one of the foremost practitioners of 3-D pavement art in the world. Since 1998, she has competed in and directed major international festivals, earning gold medals and the honorary title of Maestra Madonnara in Italy—one of the highest distinctions in the street-painting tradition. She has created large-scale public murals and 3-D installations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, and is co-founder of We Talk Chalk, an international pavement-art company promoting public art as a global cultural exchange.
Her murals and fine art have been exhibited worldwide, including commissions for institutions and luxury venues such as Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Stimmell’s work is represented by Park West Gallery and is included in both private and public collections.
Through her diverse practice, Melanie Stimmell Van Latum has elevated street painting to the realm of fine art while continuing to explore themes of transformation, femininity, and the human connection to imagination. Her art invites viewers into a world where realism and fantasy converge—an ever-shifting balance between mastery and magic.
