In a society where technology is so pervasive I think the aesthetic experience of hand painted work is important.
– Author Unknown
ABOUT MICHELLE
An explosion of beauty and chaos and peace
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa with my two precious dogs – having lived in several different countries in Africa and in Europe. I count myself lucky to have been married to a truly wonderful man and to have a family of amazing, interesting people who I love and admire.
I cannot remember a time when I did not paint or draw. Even when “life” got in the way – it was always there, and without fanfare I was producing work, selling work and quietly growing as an artist, grateful that I do have work in homes globally. Painting is a joy, it’s also cathartic, healing and very addictive.
Painting is a joy, it’s also healing, cathartic and very addictive. When I lost my husband Brad, I lost myself. Finding a new me was hard, but what he would have insisted. Our life together and indeed his great love of music and the daily question “what song is in your head?” is engraved on my soul; and I will continue to paint with a song in my head
Statement
My work is non-representational created mostly on raw unprimed canvas using acrylic paint and a variety of mark making tools. Scribbling and writing into my paintings is a direct connection between my thoughts and the painting and is very much part of my process. As I paint, I am influenced by moments in my past and glimpses of my future, and the interaction of intuition and intention.
Abstraction for me – and why I love it – is an explosion of beauty and chaos and peace, expressive and uncontained. A story without script and I hope that those who choose to live with my paintings discover their own personal stories within the history of the layers. At this stage of my life, I tend not to rely on any fixed identity or any fixed formula – rather I treat each new painting as a new adventure, a new project to solve.
