ARTIST PROFILE

People always ask me, "How long have you been an artist?" My answer is always the same...."For as long as I could hold a pencil!"

It's in my blood, really. I was blessed to be born with a natural artistic ability that has been passed down for generations on my Father's side. Artistic ability is a trait that I definitely did not inherit from my Mother's side, however her encouragement and belief in my ability is what got me to where I am today. When I was a kid, even back to my elementary school years, I was "the artist" in my class. I remember kids lining up at my desk during breaks in the 4th grade so that I could draw little character faces for them! In High School, I majored in Commercial Art, winning numerous awards over my 4 years there. By my Senior year, I was spending the majority of my class time doing commissions that we would receive from area businesses and community organizations. Designing billboards, hand lettering signs for businesses, and even laying out a yearbook for the College of Saint Elizabeth, just to name a few. When I graduated, I spent a short time in College before I found a career I was passionate about in Visual Merchandising. The artistic nature of that career satisfied my need for creativity for much of my adult life, and I put down my pencils and brushes for a long time.

In 2016, a series of life events led me to dive into art again. It was my escape from reality, but at the same time I was finding myself again. It didn't take long for me to realize art was my true calling and I needed to pursue it in order to live a fulfilled life.

I am so grateful to have the support and encouragement of my family. My mother especially would do everything she could to encourage me to pursue my passion. On January 27, 2020, I promised her that this would be the year I would focus on my art and make it my #1 priority. She passed away the next morning.

Keeping my promise to my mother, in the months that followed I began selling my artwork, creating new originals and offering prints. I opened myself up to accept commissions again and expanded my practice to include painting large scale murals for homes and businesses. I have painted murals in several states across the US and several countries. In July of 2022, Jersey Girl Art, LLC was born and launched my career as a full-time, professional artist.

I paint every single day. And I thank my mom for her support, guidance and encouragement, every day.

Thank you for following along on my journey.

Michelle