Renée Michele
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Artist, Mother, Fighter, Dreamer.

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My story

In my painting process as in my life, I close my eyes to see with inner eyes. I stop to sense and acquire the essence of things and fill my soul with these luxuries to build up a repertoire of awareness. I try to stay full of intrinsic information to gain access to image transfer and manifestation. I seek what is just beyond my comprehension and strength.

When I paint the work has a direct link to my being/experiences. My life experiences and dreams directly manifest themselves in my images consciously and unconsciously. Sometimes the image emerges preceding the experience like foreshadowing.

Being a dancer was what made me an intuitive and able to connect very deeply with physical expression and it is with this keen awareness I use the figure to illustrate many ideas.

 
 

I respect my work for the entity it is and my role in the ability to create. I am in awe at times at the boundaries I cross mentally, emotionally and spiritually in creating and with the images that come forth. When I paint I work very intuitively and slowly as I start working, I inevitably reach a point of chaos that I have to navigate as the piece takes shape. I work technically at some points when considering the development of the composition and control of color and slowly when nearing completion in order to draw the line between where one piece is ending and another one is about to take shape. Once I thought I ruined a piece because I couldn’t work my way out of the chaos and so I changed the direction I was taking in the middle of the idea and really disliked it. I walked away from it for two years. When I returned to it this year I found it to be very electric. A piece people are drawn to, but don’t know why. I guess it is just the energy of the piece.

 
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Artist Statement

I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting with a minor in printing and I have been producing work consistently since the birth of my daughter in 1995.

My paintings are very colorful; right out of the tube, often times applied with my fingers. I deeply admire subtle color, but it often does not suit my spontaneous application. Through this form of expression I have learned the art of “controlled explosion”. In a single session I can create the physical base for the story I am going to tell. Then I subtly refine that initial expression and add any symbolic references that may help the viewer interpret my work. Often times there are hidden images or subliminal messages that I add consciously or unconsciously. I have at times had people look at a piece and show me images I didn’t know were there. Quite often there is very gender specific imagery and the body is almost always a part of the visual landscape.

My first love was dance and therefore my primary influence. Dancing is as internal as it is physical and my artwork is often an expression of that physical internal voice. Sometimes my body just has to speak and so I paint.

To create is to live a very emotional kind of existence.

“Sacred Elements” 2003 - Oils on canvas

 
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History

EXHIBITIONS

2023 Stevens Gallery, Salpointe H.S., “How Artists Create”, group exhibition

2023 Roche Diagnostics, “Grand Scale” large format group exhibition, Oro Valley, AZ

2023 The Overlook, “Paper, Papel, Papier!” group exhibition, Oro Valley, AZ

2023 Roche Diagnostics, “Uncommon Knowledge” group show, commissioned collaborations, Oro Valley, AZ

2023 Habitation Speakeasy, Solo exhibition, Tucson, AZ

2022 Jewish Community Center, “Meet the Southern Arizona Arts Guild”, Tucson, AZ

2021 The Overlook, “Treasures” group exhibition, Oro Valley, AZ

2020 The Overlook, “Joy” group exhibition, Oro Valley, AZ. First place winner for “Dance My Soul”

2020 The Southern Arizona Arts Guild Retail Gallery

2019 Raices Taller 222 Art, “Mardi Gras” group exhibition, Tucson, AZ

2017 Gamut Gallery, “C4W: 2017" group exhibition, Minneapolis, MN

2017 Squirrel Haus Arts Gallery, “Beauty in Chaos” group exhibition, Minneapolis, MN

2010 Minneapolis Institute of Arts, “Foot in the Door” group exhibition, Minneapolis, MN

2009 Spirit of the Lakes Festival Exhibitor

2007 Institute for Health and Healing, solo exhibition. “The Art of Healing”

2006 Banfillelocke Center for Arts, collective exhibition, “Dance, Dance, Dance”

2005 Gates of Eden Gallery, solo exhibition, Peoria, Illinois

2005 Church of the Open Door, collective exhibition

2003-2005 Agora Gallery, New York,
Soho, collective exhibition “Ethereal Realms”
Chelsea, collective exhibition, “Emerging Forms”

2002 Period Gallery, collective exhibition and award of special recognition, “Contemporary Painting III”, Omaha, NE

2001 Period Gallery, collective exhibition, “Spiritual International III”, Omaha, NE

2000-2003 “Le Femmes Artiste”, women’s collective exhibitions, Minneapolis, MN

 

PUBLICATIONS

2005 Artis Spectrum Magazine Vol.13

2002 New Art International Magazine

 

COMMISSIONS

2008 Oils, “Dance My Soul”, Ricardo Correa

2005 Mixed media mandala, “The Essence of You”, Alice Sandahl

2005 Oils, “Phoenix Rising”, Tina Dorn

2003 Oils, “The Bride”, Gina DeConcini

2003 Oils, “The Storm at her Back”, Liz Belko

1999 Colored pencil, “Captured Muse”, Jessie Smelter

1995 Oils, “Two Lovers Kissing Each Other’s Wounds”, Ricardo Correa

1993 Oils, "Little Lamb", Mary Ellen

1992 Oils, “The Judgement of Justice”, Ricardo Correa

 

TEACHING / FREELANCE PROJECTS

2021 Mixed Media Mandala Collage and Tape Resist Class instruction, Southern Arizona Arts Guild Gallery, Tucson, AZ.

2020 Mixed Media Mandala Collage class instruction, Southern Arizona Arts Guild Gallery, Tucson, AZ

2019-present Exhibitions Chair, Southern Arizona Arts Guild. Curator for solo exhibitions.

2003 Teacher, Northern Lights Coop, Coon Rapids, MN

1998 Teacher, Robbinsdale Community Education, Robbinsdale, MN

1992-1994 Teacher, Eagan Evangelical Church, fine arts camp, Eagan, MN

1981 Teacher, Minnesota Museum of Art, St. Paul, MN

1980 Project assistant, mural project, Minnesota Zoo, Eagan, MN

1980 Project assistant, Art in the Park mural project, Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, MN


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