Career
Emerging British artist - known for colourful, spontaneous portrait work - Michelle currently lives and works in Yorkshire, England. Her last project, Snapshots of Familial Gazes, gained support from notable public figures Maya Angelou, Germaine Greer, Judi Dench, Michael Parkinson, Joanna Lumley and comedian Jo Brand. As part of this project she also painted playwright Githa Sowerby.
However, this painting was displayed separately at the York Theatre Royal.
Michelle is currently working on three projects. The first, Whatever They Said, is a portrait project which looks at the exchange of language through face-to-face conversations and found text.
Subjects include, to-date: Egyptologist Joann Fletcher, comedian Arthur Smith, actor Judi Dench, fashion guru Gok Wan, comedian Francesca Martinez and writer Joanne Harris. The second, #LettersFromTheHeart is a project about women and war and their messages of love.
Michelle will be collecting love letters, texts, emails - any kind of message - sent or received during wartime.
The finished exhibition will consist of portraits and sculptures and will be shown in several venues across the country including in Liverpool, London and Leeds. Michelle is interested in engaging with the public and local communities through her art projects. Her third project, #HOMETheVanProject is a school project for young people, giving them the opportunity to create their own small pieces of art
The project is starting in Yorkshire and will be travelling across the country.
She has already visited Darton College in her green van and will be visiting more schools and colleges as the project develops. Other recent work includes a piece commissioned by Jo Brand for The Eve Appeal.
Michelle completed a portrait of the late comedian Linda Smith who died from ovarian cancer. The work was exhibited at Claridges alongside the world"s emerging and leading female artists.
Life and Michelle studied Sculpture at Stafford Art College before completing her Fine Art degree at Leeds University.
She went on to complete her Masters in Fine Art Practice at Leeds Metropolitan University. Foreign ten years she worked in education as a Art Facilitator and Teacher.