I am pleased to announce that our first featured artist of the week is Michelle Verbeeck, a contemporary fiber artist who has “turned her talents to making fun handcrafted, creative bags” that have a “PURR-sonality” all their own.

 

Website: Michelle Verbeeck
Online Shop: Studio 259

Michelle, please tell us about yourself. I was born in NJ, now live in Pa and I am 48 and have a wonderful husband who supports all my arts. I have 3 wonderful daughters and 14 cockatiels, 4 cats and a 34 year old parrot who has been with me since the age of 17. If only he could tell stories. I have been creating art all my life and I love to paint, sew, read and basically just create. Its the process of creating that is the center of what I love about art. The hands on of taking raw materials and turning them into something that I truly enjoy. My hobbies are drawing, reading, sewing of course, learning new things , and just doing what I love. I have made a life of creating and selling my art for many years. It has brought me much joy and I cant imagine doing anything else.

How would you describe your art? I am a textile artist. I love fabric, the feel, texture, color, richness and character it has. I love bold bright colors and using fabric and stitch to create it is the essence of who I am. I spent many years making art quilts and have now turned my attention towards things more whimsical. Taking my art quilt background and mixing in lots of color and pattern, adding character and design elements with stitch, which make for a very fun handbag. I am now designing fun bags with a burst of color and Purrsonality. My newest bag is my Cat Sack, and I have several more on the designs on the studio table I am just monkeying around with, all will be making their debut soon at studio-259.com. My art style is bold and colorful and fun and a little on the wild side. Who are your favorite artists? Pam Rupbert, Lisa Lichtenfels, Hollis Chatlain, Heidi Kenny, Maria Elkins, Cezanne, Carol Barber, Lauren Camp. Tell us about your creative process. My creative process starts and works itself out mostly in my head, it needs to roll around a bit and germinate. I find when its ready it keeps at me till I pay attention to it and work to get it out. Then I just grab up some supplies and start creating. I love quilting and so often my work, even my bags are heavily quilted, which brings character and texture to the individual work. It brings it alive for me, changing a simple canvas to one rich in movement and color. My creative process is simple, I work intuitively and work and create as I go. It is the process that works for me. In what ways do you live artfully? I live artfully by taking time to feed my soul. To nourish the quiet space within that keeps my muse going. I read alot about art and other artists, I try to bring art into my life where ever I can. There is something beautiful in all art, something to touch, something to see and I just try to take it all in. My artistic soul likes a quiet afternoon under the big tree with a good book, or an afternoon of making bread, both feeding my soul and my body…mmmm! Artful living can be as simple as appreciating the sun bursting thru the clouds on a summer afternoon and just noticing the beauty all around or the light the way it dances its way to the ground. Its the simple things that inspire me most. What is your personal motto or mantra? Just Keep Going…..some days like most artists I get those little voices in my head that seem to urge me to question everything I do and every direction I wish to go, if I listen to hard they can stop me, spin me around and leave me feeling a bit lost for a while. So my mantra is to Just Keep Going, do what you love, and it will bring you happiness. Anything else you would like to share about yourself? I have been creating since my mother taught me to sew at the age of 10. I remember that day sewing up a simple yellow summer shift dress. I wanted more, much more. All my life the only thing I ever wanted to be was an artist and so I have spent most of my life creating, making and selling art of some sort or other. Its been a wonderful journey, and I cant imagine ever doing anything else. When I am creating, nothing ever seems like work. Its all joy, inspiration, discovery and fun. Thanks, Michelle… It was wonderful to get to know you! Check out more of Michelle’s work at her website and be sure to visit her online shop Studio 259.

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If you’re interested in being a featured artist, let us know! Check out the Feature Me! Questionnaire and tell us about yourself and your art.