“It is my hope that people who view my work will experience an appreciation for and feeling of connection with the living things with whom we share our world.”
Michelle Meier is a visual artist and high school art teacher who resides on a farmette in the Town of Berry, located in the Driftless Region of western Dane County, Wisconsin. She lives with her husband, two children, and a small herd (or “fold”) of Scottish Highland cattle. She earned a BS in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Masters in Art Education from Boston University. Art has been a lifelong passion, and she enjoys both creating and teaching about it. She considers herself extremely fortunate to live and work where she is surrounded by inspiration, and often takes the reference photos for her pieces in her own backyard. From an early age she has had a deep fascination with the natural world, so it is no wonder that it is the primary focus of her artwork. She attempts to imbue the subjects of her art with character and vitality in order to bring the spirit of Nature indoors. She enjoys experimenting with new techniques, and over the years her process has evolved into painting with oils on sheet metal. She juxtaposes metal patina techniques with oil painting, resulting in work that features abstract textures and colors in the background and detailed realism in the subjects. She shapes the metal for her paintings using a jeweler’s saw and ages it using a variety of different patinas. Working on metal gives her paintings additional dimension and provides her with the capability to create compositions that are free from the constraints of traditional geometric shapes.
Process
Pieces undergo an extensive creative process prior to completion. They begin with reference photos and planning sketches to determine the composition, which are transferred to the final surface once perfected. Paintings on metal are then cut out with a jeweler’s saw before being carefully filed and sanded, and the remnants of metal are saved for making jewelry. Patinas are sometimes created on the metal using a variety of oxidation materials (such as vinegar, salt, heat, and sulphur produced by hard boiled eggs). Oil paintings are painted solvent-free with professional grade M.Graham oil paints. A protective varnish is applied to the surface after paintings have had time to dry completely.
