About the Artist

Floral beauty is Michelle Reeves’ sanctuary, causing a visceral response to the beauty and the possibilities through flowers, nature and color – putting voice to canvas through paint and palette knife in an expressionistic fashion.

Michelle’s work is abstract/expressionism with a dash of realism. Colors, forms and textures inspired by nature, are the key components for her paintings relaying messages that are good, not so good and sometimes ugly.

As a self-taught painter, she started later in life as a result of one question a gentleman asked during a job interview: “What are you passionate about?” Reeves went back to school to get an Interior Design degree. But through the course work something happened…she started to paint and found her true calling and passion!

Reeves has been published in the fall 2021 issue of THE BEST OF Acrylic Magazine, House&Garden UK magazine and Styleblueprint.com/FACES in 2019. Reeves has been awarded 23 International awards which include Floral Artist of the Year 2020 and an Award of Excellence. Reeves was also awarded two overseas artist residencies in 2020.

About Artist’s Work:

Painting occurred late in my life. In 2017 a gentleman asked a question during a job interview: “What are you passionate about?” Pondering the answer to that question led me back to school to get an Interior Design degree, hoping this would fill a void. Along the way, through course work, I found my true self and at 52 years old, started painting.

After a life-time of feeling hidden and unworthy, renewed child-like joy and professional purpose bubble out and is reflected on the canvas. The relief of knowing what I’m supposed to be doing and the emotive translations of life are expressed with careful color consideration and texture building.

As a self taught painter, every canvas is a learning experience and as a former make-up artist I am very affected by color and have been my whole life. I am inspired by what I see in nature which springboards me in a painting direction. I don’t paint what I see, but rather the impression, color and movement of the subject or imagined content.

Floral beauty has always been my sanctuary causing a visceral response to the beauty and possibilities of nature and life. It comes as no surprise that when I started painting, flowers literally exploded out of me as they bring me so much joy and wonderful memories. The connection I feel when surrounded by nature is the feeling of HOME and optimism. I communicate my point of view, good, bad or ugly, through flowers/nature and color/texture – putting voice to canvas through paint and brush/palette knife, in an exploratory fashion.

It brings me great joy when someone says a painting makes them happy to look at it. Many artists will tell you they paint with emotion on their sleeve, and those emotions are reflected on the canvas. I do the same, but sometimes I get a zap of impulsive energy that is reckless and physical. For example, In A NutShell is two paintings in one. The under painting is a graphic doodle painted with brushes using shades of deep pink, green and black. I enjoyed the process with the rigid lines and crisp color not often found in my previous paintings. I knew I would eventually paint over the doodle and when I did, I had a physical urge to paint with my bare hands. The top ridge of the canvas is where I added white paint and dragged my hands downward using one swipe to move the paint creating a water-like effect. The outcome is a delight and I discovered a new technique from taking this risk. Taking risks keeps pushing me forward so I can continue to offer something I’m proud of.

I am so grateful to be painting and thank the Heavens above daily. And when an idea hits….I grab creative by the tail and kiss inspiration on the cheek and enjoy the ride.

What does “Home” mean to you: 

Home for me is all about connection, whether it be a connection of the heart or a place. Flowers are a conduit for this connection, I can feel at home far away from my physical home when flowers/nature/beauty are at play. It has always been this way for me. I can circle back and make the connection of great love of flowers to my grandmother and mother. I’ve been fortunate to grow up in a family of love and the love of flowers is in my DNA. It is no surprise that flowers and nature fill my heart with much love and joy as these qualities were much given to me. Flowers represent love, safety and joy…isn’t that what HOME is? I say YES!

Find the Artist on: