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Cindy Michaud Art

I am fortunate to live and create surrounded by the mountains of the High Country. My work, spanning multiple media, definitely reflects the people and the terrain of western North Carolina. You are cordially invited to learn more about my work on this website.  Please don’t hesitate to come for a visit or reach out. I’d love to meet you.

Artist Statement

I believe that “art” is a verb as well as a noun. Too often our culture focuses on the result of an artist’s labors — the finished canvas, the fired pot, the published poem —while giving short shrift to the process that led to it. What comes before — the noticing, imagining, experimenting, executing, and revising — are the most salient manifestations of the creative impulse, and where I find my joy. When I sell a piece, I want the collector to have a sense of what went into the work: the inspiration, the prep, the decisions I made along the way. In turn, I need to know what attracted them to my piece, the story it told them, the meaning it holds. Likewise, when I teach, I ask my students to focus on, find freedom in, and feel satisfaction from the process of making art, rather than be overly concerned on outcome. Yes, I ask a lot. But I believe that experiencing the thrill of the creative process is more valuable and soul-sustaining than any finished piece can be. My own work reflects a fascination with process. I am continually trying out new materials and methods, experimenting with and exploring different modes of artistic expression. I may be painting with oils one month, building a mosaic sculpture the next, pinching pots the third. As I become enamored with new forms of art-making, I take deep dives into them, learning, collecting, and often mixing and matching them. I have been accused of “chasing shiny objects,” but I will take that as a compliment. Experimentation and exploration will always be cornerstones of my creative life. Am I fickle when it comes to inspiration? The natural world speaks deeply to me. Too long in the studio and I am itching to hike a mountain or forage botanicals. Soon those mountains and botanicals find their way into my art. At the same time, I am an incorrigibly social animal, and thrive on the energy that comes from relationships. These, too, work their way into my art via the vivid emotions they engender. All of this blending, as both a verb and a noun.

About
Paintings
PAINTINGS

I’ve been painting for over 30 years: oil, acrylic, pastel and the occasional collage. My palette tends to be bright and colorful. Landscapes are crowd pleasers but I also enjoy depicting body language and flower filled still lifes.

Click on each area to enlarge

Mosaics

MOSAICS

Taking broken shards and creating something new and beautiful - what could be more artful? While color and design remain important ingredients there is an entirely new world of substrates and techniques involved. My experience in mosaics continues to evolve and I’m ready to begin using it for art in public installations. Click below for samples of previous work.

Other

OTHER MEDIA

I can’t help chasing shiny objects and falling down rabbit holes! Art is a never ending journey of exciting side trips and detours. Click below to see a few of the “one-offs” I’ve done that provided some really interesting creative challenges.

Teaching

TEACHING

Instructing is a joy and a challenge. It’s when you find out if you really ‘know your stuff!’ I’ve done private and group painting classes for all ages as well as mosaic classes and workshops. Click below to see how much fun we have and contact me if you are interested in knowing more.

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