07 Apr 07 by Michele Shelton
Michele Shelton artworks

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Heaven on Earth

Simply putting pencil to paper and allowing sychronicity to create it's magic was the primary goal. The purpose was to become open to all possibities of createing in the moment without drafting preliminary thumbnail sketches. Anytime I paused for too long to "re-think" the next placment of color,it was time to stop, returning only when I was willing to be open to the process again. I am comfortable working with patterns, stylized forms, and vibrant colors.

Tribal Speak
Tribal Speak
Tribal Speak

Mezmorized by community and family was the inspiration behind this piece.

TAKEME
TAKEME
TAKEME

Exploring what happens if you simply put pencil to paper without any preconceived outcome.

New Beginnings
New Beginnings
New Beginnings

Highlighting one section of the original work.

New Beginnings
New Beginnings
New Beginnings

Exploring nonavoidance and working with the materials left on the table. Only a small section of the original work.

Sea
Sea
Sea

Inspired by creating organic forms, this was one of my first attempts at using color pencils.

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06 Jul 10 05:03

unreal artwork awesome piece

Kate
Kate
Kate

Working with pencil on fibrous rice paper was difficult. I had to literally work the pencil repeatedly into the paper to keep the pigment in place.

Faerie Thorns and Sacred Places
Faerie Thorns and Sacred Places
Faerie Thorns and Sacred Places

Ireland's folklore of the Banshie inspired both a graphic and poetic metaphor speaking to the stages of a woman.

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10 Jan 09 17:09

These images remind me of the celtic work of a well known Irish graphic artist called Jim Fitzpatrick. When I was around 15 years old, I was sent to a boarding school (from which I was subsequently expelled), and there in my disgruntledness I began to consider the possibility of a career in the visual arts. Somehow I found out Fitzpatrick's address and wrote him a letter asking if I could come and visit (the enthusiasm to know the artist in his/her studio was with me even then). I remember him to have been a most gracious, if not bemused host. One detail that struck me was what appeared to be a copy of the Che Guevara image on his wall. It turned out not to be a copy, and that Fitzpatrick was the original designer of that famous poster. Even more odd was the fact that when he was a kid working during school holidays behind the bar in a pub in rural Ireland, who should step in one day but the man himself, Che Guevara. Apparantly Che's grandmother was from Galway in the west of Ireland.
There you go - how about that for a lot of useless information. Just viewing your artwork sparked off those old memories, and I couldn't resist writing them down. Thanks for posting your work.

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15 Mar 09 17:10

Jean Paul,

Apparently, I cannot walk away for a few minutes without the comment board erasing my comments. Okay, this means I must settle down and reply without any interruption.I wanted to thank you for your comments and for sharing your personal story reminiscing memories from your youth. I must tell you that Galway was the location I visited on Holiday, and where my inspiration was ignited to create Faerie thorns and Sacred Places.
I so respect the work of Jim Fitzpatrick and have a passion for patterned blocks of color and line to form a visual story, similar to his style.

His work feels more polished and poster-like, while my work is extremely organic. It seems my process is a bit boring...I start out with a more realistic piece of work, and end up creating this visual soup,if you will...this gobbly goop of mis-mashed color and unrelated organic lines which seem to create somewhat of an unusual, yet interesting blend of objects that hopefully tell a story.

I have worked with a variety of paper, but like vellum the best. A lot of that has to do with how the pencil feels flowing across the rough surface of the paper, not to mention once burned the paper exhibits very interesting patterns.

I am starting work on another soon and would like to try my hand at telling a story told by my Irish grandparentswho came to the states and farmed land in Minnesota. Although I don't want to discount my Italian heritage either,so I will see what I come with...perhaps I'll combine both.



Faerie Thorns 1
Faerie Thorns 1
Faerie Thorns 1

Highlighting a section of the original piece.

Faerie Thorns 2
Faerie Thorns 2
Faerie Thorns 2

Highlighting a section of the original piece.

Africa
Africa
Africa

Collage that explores empowerment if the possibility of hope is the intent for this country in the future.

Hair
Hair
Hair

A simple color study of hair.

Frosty Nite 1
Frosty Nite 1
Frosty Nite 1

I actually worked on this piece on a cold night in January and explored what would happen if I drew by candlelight where colors become blurred and often misrepresent themselves. The full piece could not be downloaded due to its size, so this is a small synopsis of the original piece.

In the Dark
In the Dark
In the Dark

Another opportunity to explore drawing by candlelight one cold evening in January at midnight.Using this method results in many suprises such as never knowing what color you are truly using, as well as never quite knowing if the line you intentionally placed on the page was actually left behind.

Art of a Powerful Leader
Art of a Powerful Leader
Art of a Powerful Leader

Third image, and last in the "candlelight" series. Image was too large to download, so I captured a small synopsis of the original work. Working with low light helped me to move beyond control, and onto allowing and then into acceptance removing myself from manipulating the final result.

Art of a Powerful Leader 2
Art of a Powerful Leader 2
Art of a Powerful Leader 2

Another synopsis of the original"candle light" series.

Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall

Consigned piece -Wedding gift. Collaged image of the Irish bride depicting the many aspects of her life and what she cherishes most.

Root of Life
Root of Life
Root of Life

This piece shows the beginning of my interest using detailed forms and patterns.

Heaven on Earth
Heaven on Earth
Heaven on Earth

Simply putting pencil to paper and allowing sychronicity to create it's magic was the primary goal. The purpose was to be open to all possibities, and to create in the moment without drafting preliminary thumbnail sketches. Anytime I paused for too long to "re-think" the next appropriate placment of color or line, it was time to stop, returning only when I was willing to be open to the process again. I naturally work with patterns, stylized forms, and vibrant colors.

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08 Apr 07 17:34

Welcome aboard and thanks for the kind words.

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08 Apr 07 17:38

Oh yes I should mention that when I checked out your portfolio I found your work to be very interesting.