Melissa "Melly" Trochez isn't the only "shy girl" in Los Angeles but she's probably one of the few to have made a career out of it.

A second generation Honduran-American, Trochez uses words like "paranoid" and "detached" to describe her childhood. But rather than withdrawing into herself as a teen, she began drawing herself out into the world – as an artist. Now 30 years-old and a rising star in the art world, Trochez still mostly paints herself, doe-eyed and a bit tragic.

But behind titles like "Diary Series" and "Beautiful Sadnesss," her work is fiercely energetic and as varied as her influences: Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo. Like the best record producers, Trochez is able to mix up styles without missing a beat. In one painting, she squares off two Puma sneaker-wearing female boxers and adorns them with classical gold leaf. There's just enough going on to keep your eye dancing but not so much as to tire your brain out.

Trochez claims her paintings give her "the power to speak without having to use... words" and she's got plenty to say. She unveils new paintings this September at the Frank Pictures Gallery in Santa Monica, California.