Veteran Artist John Melillo Paints a Special Valentine's Cover

This week, Eastport painter and Vietnam veteran John Melillo has created a special cover for Valentine’s Day. “Lost in Love” continues Melillo’s exploration of more surreal and abstracted subjects, evolving out of his more representational earlier works. The artist began painting as a balm for painful memories of his Vietnam War experience, which came flooding back as PTSD after he retired as a marketing executive. He found he had a talent for it, and a love of painting, and its taken him on quite an adventure over the past five years.

Since his first show at Southampton Arts Center, Melillo’s painting has led to many more shows of his own, as well as his helping other veterans create and show their own art and process their trauma through creativity. Recently, along with his many exhibitions, talks and art events, he was featured in a “Discover Long Island” television commercial and was honored as a NY Islanders Military Hero of the Game.

Here, we catch up with Melillo about what inspired his latest Dan’s Papers cover, along with his evolving art style, and his continued efforts in Long Island and NY State’s community of veterans.

A Conversation with John Melillo

Tell me about this piece and how it came to be?

I wanted to do something for Valentine’s Day. I was at Coopers Beach and saw a bottle in the sand. From there my mind started spinning. I decided to create something that might compel love and goodwill in these times of unrest and also add a sense of mystery. My “Lost in Love” cover painting was the result.

You have been exploring styles beyond representational and what I might call a folk-art vibe in some of your earlier work, and are now playing with expressionism and surreal stuff. Have you found yourself especially drawn to any of the styles of art you are making these days?

I’ve evolved into an abstract realistic oil painter with a touch of Van Gogh and Rockwell on larger canvases — 2.5 feet x 3.5 feet and 3 feet x 4 feet. I want all my paintings to be different in content and tell stories. I try to keep challenging myself to realize my full potential. I like to feel my best work is yet to come. Also, 90% of my work is East End Inspired by my heritage growing up out here.

Tell me about what’s new with your ongoing efforts to support area veterans and help people heal PTSD.

Last year, I did five events with veterans and first responders with a talk on PTSD utilizing slides/film and/or teaching art classes geared towards healing. I am presently in discussion with various organizations to do at least the same this season. Every year I paint a flag to honor my fellow veterans that I display at  town/Suffolk veteran resource fairs for the legislators, VA, libraries, theater, and/or art venue events. This year for the United States’ 250th anniversary, I did a flag at night titled “The Old Barn, Oak Street, Westhampton, Circa 1960.” I use to pass this setting many times when my father took me fishing as a boy at the Shinnecock Inlet. I remembered it clearly, and now that fond memory with my father will last as long as the painting exists.

How do you feel about all the attention and accolades bestowed on you concerning being an disable veteran artist?

Like many Vietnam vets, I came home to a hostile environment because of all the anti-war sentiments. Like most vets, I tucked it away until I decided to try to help my fellow veterans with their PTSD as well as myself. But more than that.

In the last few years, I’ve heard the overwhelming “Thank You for your Service” comments. Very few guys I served with heard the outpouring of those five words (particularly the Vietnam guys).

So, whether I’m at a medal ceremony, the vet of the day at sporting events, articles like this one, TV interviews, et cetera, I always want to dedicate and pass on any honors to all those I served with that came home or didn’t make it to hear that sort of appreciation.

What shows do you have on view now and coming up in the coming months?

I have  permanent collections for viewing at the Manorville, Riverhead, and Westhampton Starbucks. What’s unique about these pieces is I did them with a realistic style, and the paintings represent that specific area of Long Island where the stores are located. I also have pieces with the J. Mackey Gallery in East Hampton. I am in the Members Show at the East End Arts Center in Riverhead. I am also currently featured in the “Discover Long Island” TV commercials as a disabled veteran who paints the East End.

My focus now is to seek opportunities for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair in July and with the designers doing the various Hamptons house models. I’m also doing the Quogue Great Lawn Show in the summer.

What do you have planned for Valentine’s Day?

I plan to spend an intimate Great Day with my family at home. I’m having Greeting Cards made of this cover painting just for them.

Where can people find your work online?

All my work with my contact info can be found along with videos and promos on my website artfeelingsjm.com and on Instagram @artfeelingsjm.

All available artwork on my website and instragram is for sale!

Do you have anything to add?

My PTSD Vietnam experience surfaced dramatically when I retired. Never involved with art before, I believe, God gave me this gift as a third act in life, finding healing through art. Every day now I’m either painting and/or looking for new material to create something that’s meaningful for me and hopefully for the viewer.

It’s safe to say art, in fact, Saved my life.