I am Michelle Pearson. I live in Derbyshire and I am an
artist. I paint in oils. My main style is fine art but I also enjoy creating abstracts.
I love creating beautiful floral paintings which I have greeting cards and limited
and open ended edition prints made from. I have my originals and cards and
prints in gift shops and galleries. I also paint landscapes, seascapes and
animals. I also paint murals and canvases for children’s bedrooms.
I enjoy taking commissions. Each commission is different and
usually a challenge.
Why do you do what
you do?
I do what I do because it fills me with passion. I come to life
when I have a paint brush in my hand and I have a blank canvas staring at me.
And ultimately I believe in myself. My
world without creativity in it would be a slightly duller one.
What has been a
seminal experience?
I have two answers to this question!
1. In
two words – my mum. She brought me and
my sister up to be creative and free thinking. A childhood without strict boundaries
and rules. She would draw and paint, whisk us off to the cinema and playhouse
when money allowed. She introduced us to old films and musicals, to gorgeous
Devon and her love of the sea.
2. Secondly
when I was at college I was searching for someone to research for an essay and
I came across the St Ives artists of the 20thCentury. I fell in love with Ben Nicholson, Alfred
Wallis and Barbara Hepworth. Also Henry
Moore. Their style of painting and creating sculptures was breathtaking. The
inspiration they drew on from their surroundings and the light in Cornwall
filled me with passion, strength and determination. I went down to St Ives and visited the Tate
which luckily at the time had work by most of these artists on display. I also
went to Hepworth’s Studio and gardens. And my love for their abstract works was
cemented in me.
Describe a real-life
situation that inspired you?
Last year I went on a short holiday with my husband to Lake
Garda in Italy. We went to a gorgeous little town called Malcesine. It was
filled with small streets selling wonderful gifts and art and little bars. I
turned down one little street and saw a painting literally hanging on the wall
of a building in the sunlight with an arrow beneath pointing to a small artists
working studio and gallery. This painting was gorgeous. It was an abstract
floral. We entered the gallery and the work inside was magical. I chatted to
the artist herself. If I could’ve afforded it I would have bought every
painting in the place. I went back home and since then I have created
four floral abstracts of my own which I am rather proud of.
Is the artistic life
lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
I think every artist has periods of self doubt. And so it
can feel lonely. I counteract it by using social media to keep connected to the
network of artists and photographers I am now in touch with. It is fantastic to
see all their inspiring creations and to realise that they too have the same
feelings as I do. I also enjoy
photography so I try and combine this with day to day things when out and
about.
I have an admin job two days a week and this keeps me
grounded with life outside of art. And also makes me appreciate the fact I have
art in my life. I also have two wonderful children who amuse me and also keep
me well and truly grounded! And I won’t mention housework!!
What inspires you?
The sun shining through my studio window, a beautiful
picture of a flower, a laugh with a friend, a new paint brush, a blank canvas, another
artists work in progress, a wet and wild day...it can be anything and
everything. Commissions inspire me
too. Although the subject often is not
what I would choose to paint I draw inspiration from researching the subject
and the challenge it poses.
What do you dislike
about your work?
I get frustrated when a painting does not turn out how I
wanted it to. I am a bit of a perfectionist. I also dislike it when people make
enquiries about commissions or buying a painting and then you hear nothing back
from them. I think it is very rude.
What do you like
about your work?
The most joyous thing about my work is when I hand over a
commission or a sold painting/print and I see the look on the customer/clients
face. That is priceless and makes everything worthwhile. If it’s a painting I
have had to send off then I often receive feedback via email. That too is
priceless.
I love the fact I can get lost in a painting and time
becomes nonexistent. I also love the
feeling I get when I have completed a painting and I leave it overnight. When I
go back to it the following day to view it with fresh eyes and it brings a
smile to my face. That smile is when I personally know I have made a good job J
Favourite or most
inspirational place?
I have two favourite and inspirational places. North
Devon/Cornwall and The Lake District. When I am in these places I feel wild,
free and that creative possibilities are endless. Although to be fair I often find when I
holiday in these places I empty my mind and relax which in itself is good for
the creative mind. When painting to
deadlines I can sometimes feel I am going slightly nuts. I have my own saying:
‘Painting is heaven with a touch of insanity.’
Professionally,
what’s your goal?
I hope to continue to grow and express myself in my work and
to develop new styles. I would love to think my art can be enjoyed by people
all over by having my work in numerous gift shops/galleries throughout the UK. And I hope to always have commissions to keep
me on my toes. BUT most importantly of all, I hope I will always enjoy painting.
Thankyou Michelle!
Michelle will be our artist in the window throughout March, and inside the gallery the first of our exhibition programme will be on display 'The Colour of Spring' with selected artists.
