Michaela lives in regional NSW in the high country about half an hour south of Canberra. She has been creating art in many different mediums for most of her life.
Michaela works from her country studio and is surrounded by the Australian countryside of big hills, rugged terrain, and big skies. Her delight each day is seeing and hearing the comings and goings of the many birds, insects and animal species who visit her garden, dam and the creek with waterfalls and ponds.
Michaela has exhibited her work throughout Australia and Internationally, and has won numerous awards, particularly for her miniature art which is 10cm square or smaller.
The mediums she currently works in are coloured pencil, watercolour, and gouache. In a way, coloured pencils are like paint and artists who use them often talk about painting with coloured pencils. The pencils are made of pigmented wax or oil and are applied in meticulous layers or glazes which are blended to create a rich glow. It is a time consuming but very meditative process. Many hours of a stream of consciousness from eyes to rain to hand. Many hours of scribbling, crosshatching, and layering. With background music as her guide, she becomes immersed in her subjects.
Education
1978 – 1981 – Bachelor of Arts, University of Sydney
1982 – Bachelor of Secondary Education, University of Sydney
East Sydney Technical College, Darlinghurst – Painting
Willoughby Arts Workshop – Etching and lithography
Ku-ring-gai Arts Workshop, Roseville – Watercolour and Gouache
Awards:
2022- Finalist, Little Things Art prize, St Cloche Gallery Paddington, Sydney
2022- First Prize, Mixed Media, Australian Society of Miniature Art, National Awards Exhibition
2022- Finalist. The Reimagine Art Prize 2022 Hornsby.
2021- Silver in the category Maritime and Inland Waterways, Australian Society of Miniature Artists, Tasmania
2021- Joint 1st Prize, Artist Society of Canberra Spring Exhibition, Mixed Media
2020- 2nd Prize Mixed Media, ASOC Spring Exhibition, Fitters Workshop, Kingston
Recent Exhibitions
2023- ‘Nature Art Soiree’, Manyung Gallery Sorrento
2022- ‘Birds n Bloom’ Sutton Village Gallery, Sutton, NSW
2022- ‘It’s All in the Detail’ Manning Regional Gallery, Taree, NSW
2022- ‘It’s All in The Detail’ NERAM, New England Regional Art Museum
2022- The Summer Show. The Milk Factory, Bowral.
2021- Humble House Gallery Artists Christmas Exhibition
2021- Suki and Hugh, Bungendore, Group Exhibition
2021- Rochfort Gallery, North Sydney, Group Exhibition
2020- “Intimate Universe” Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Gymea, NSW
2020- “Intimate Universe” Maitland Regional Gallery, NSW
2020- I Love Plants Exhibition. Lion Gate Lodge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
2020- AIM. Art in Miniature annual exhibition. Raglan Gallery Cooma.