I'm excited to share a new series I've been working on in a solo exhibition!
Here's the backstory: Last fall I noticed this crazy, spirally vine. I hiked past it many times. I knew it was an invasive species whose desire would eventually smother its host tree. Yet I grew to anticipate and love it in a curious sort of way. Then one day it was gone. And I actually missed it. Even though it was a threat to our native woods. Even though I appreciated and have often participated in the back-breaking work of invasive species removal. I knew it most certainly didn't belong. Or did it? It's the inspiration for this series, after all. 'What Goes Around: Reflections on Nature, Spirals, and Meditative Process,' reaches beyond my beloved vine to honor the hard-working spiral. Ranging in size from 12 to 90 inches, these 15 curvy, acrylic paintings have an honest rhythm that invites a deeper dive with time to linger. Each painting is a call to invigorate your sense of wonder and connection. I couldn't help but put on my artsy naturalist hat for some of the accompanying text. I hope you'll visit the show to learn more. You can view the exhibition from wherever you are simply by tapping 'ENTER.' It's nicer on a large screen, but should work on your phone, too. Tap on any of the paintings for a close up view and on 'Learn More' and 'Buy' for no obligation details and prices. The navigation arrows are tricky at first, but I know you can do it! Thank you!
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 Another year's gone by and I'm noticing some new folks around here. So first of all—thanks! You can't imagine how much that means. I'm Michelle Louis from Wisconsin, USA. A full-time painter who's also a naturalist. I'm curious about how nature inspires awe, how we feel it deep in our bones, how to express that connection, and what we can learn from it. My perspective has been deeply influenced by opportunities to live, work, and study in rainforests from Mexico to the Bolivian Amazon. At home in Wisconsin, exploring contrasting landscapes formed at the last glacier's edge gives form to a living palette ready for my brush. I tend to work large scale, painting mostly with acrylic on big canvases tacked to my studio wall. My drive to paint is indefatigable. I work hard. And I'm honored to have been recently named by the curators at Saatchi Art, the world's leading online art gallery, to "Best of 2023: Painting." One of the strengths as a painter I've worked to achieve over decades is the ability to silence the constant stream of distraction and self-criticism, connect with earth's natural rhythms, and see what my brush and paint will do. Exploring wild places in nature by myself is another way I'm able to tune in. On these kinds of adventures, I'm more aware of things beyond my usual perception. You might spot them in my paintings. Shapes, lines, and patterns appear, disappear, and then recur. Some make sense to me. Others, not so much. Process-focused, I'm kind of obsessed with how the natural world communicates with me and how I communicate that relationship. I love abstraction as opposed to more realistic work because it challenges my courage as a painter and your openness as a viewer. I especially love painting big because it allows my whole body to join the process, over and over, in silent rhythm. It's so satisfying and has the added bonus of being great therapy for the painful auto-immune disorder I'm working to overcome. I don’t begin with a sketch or specific thought, but with openness to the emergence of something unexpected, unexplainable. Standing in front of a big blank canvas, the magic between this moment and what comes next is where I engage. The natural world is still so cryptic in spite of all we've learned. To gain understanding it's important to recognize patterns, rhythms, and connections. Painting reveals things to me. It’s active. It arises symbiotically, holistically, in repetition. It's points in time that lead to the “presence” of a finished piece. Trained in studio art, graphic design, and landscape architecture, my studio extends to our yard, where I grow oodles of fruits and vegetables, including eight kinds of berries—honeyberries, strawberries, raspberries, aronia, mulberries, goji, kiwiberries, jostaberries, serviceberries. Okay, that's nine. Our yard is also a native plant haven for area wildlife and pollinators. I love being an artist because it helps me connect to you while honoring my kinship to the natural world. And I'm grateful that my work carries nature's harmony and balance to places all over the world, and to you. NEWS FLASH!! I have a solo exhibition coming up and you'll be able to view it wherever you live! Inspired by a spiral vine I saw on my hiking adventures, it's called, "What Goes Around." These 15 curvy paintings are a reminder to keep learning, adapting, and reaching. Life is a dynamic journey of growth and change in a series of interconnected cycles. Stay tuned for more info & the opening mid-February!
 I can hardly believe this year is coming to a close. It's been an up and down, wild ride, for sure. I'm honored and delighted to close out the year on an up note. I've been named to Best of 2023: Painting--one of 82 artists worldwide—by the world's leading online gallery, Saatchi Art. "Every year, our curation team turns a discerning eye to thousands of paintings. Discover the top painters worldwide in our highly anticipated annual selection." -Megan Wright, Senior Curator at Saatchi Art And there's more good news! My virtual exhibition, Balance of Shapes | A Journey West was recently featured #1 Virtual Exhibition at Art Placer. You can see it here. Thank you, everyone. I do what I do because of you. Happy New Year!  My recent painting, "Off the Beaten Path." Where simple gestural lines wend and weave across the canvas creating a sense of playful curiosity to remind us of times we let ourselves get lost and the world is still good. Its layered, monochromatic palette is straightforward. Its movement is energizing.
Airy and simple, yet intriguing. See it here. See the entire "Best of 2023: Painting" collection.
The days have become excruciatingly short. Trees are laid bare, and the harvest is complete. Like other animals, it's time for us to gather. Not necessarily to migrate or hibernate, but to create an attentive "now"—to be active and grateful, to celebrate family and friends and food, and the abundant Earth that sustains us. I am beyond grateful for the privilege of presence, and to you for encouraging my explorations. Support, love, and inspiration—day after day. Thank you, thank you, everyone!!! If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind gift with heart for a very special someone, I hope you'll consider one of my paintings or an original artwork from another artist you appreciate. My work ranges from $500.00-$16,000.00. The works shown on this page are small to medium-sized and ready to hang. Prices include shipping.
Spending time in wild places and making art doesn’t fix the world’s problems but it helps me cope. It builds a palette of colors and emotions ready for my brush. It's a gift, not a luxury. Art in all its forms (visual, dance, music, theater, writing, etc.) brings resilience and beauty to a world that needs it now more than ever. It reminds us that even when the world seems overwhelmingly bleak, beauty and meaning persist. Art is a direct experience of the resilience and determination that are foundational to the human spirit. We each embody this strength of the human spirit. That’s no small thing and I’m so grateful. Art is not a luxury. Spending time in nature is not a luxury. You are worthy. Keep going. See my available work here.
 "Chroma Glow" lights up the studio. Tap photo for details. Creativity is a superpower for problem-solving and turning everyday moments into adventures. Whether contemplating the next masterpiece or just doodling on a napkin, creativity adds that extra zing to the day. So many people say to me, “But I'm just not creative.” I call b.s. Being creative is all about opening your life to the zing. That's it. Everyone has the capacity to be creative in their own way. It's more about finding time, setting priorities, and letting go of ego. We're all constantly walking on the edge in a world on the move, so finding time to nurture our creativity is a real struggle. But it's essential for our well-being and personal growth. Cultivating creativity is not just about finding time; it's about prioritizing your own growth and well-being by adding beauty, depth, and a sense of wonder to your days. Here are five simple tips to help you make room for creativity in your busy life.
See my available work here.  "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" 60H x 46W x 1.5D inches. Tap photo for details. 
Things are getting busy and I'm grateful. You can see 3 of my artworks now through Oct. 28 at the juried, "The Medium is Technology," exhibition at the CVA (Center for Visual Arts, Wausau). In Madison, I have 2 colorful abstracts in the Wisconsin Visual Artists Member Show at the University of Wisconsin Hospital through Sept. 29. I'm also honored and delighted to be a "Curator's Pick" for the summer edition of Women United Art Magazine. You can pick up a copy here. Heartfelt thanks for choosing my work to new collectors from Asia, the California Coast, all across the U.S. to the East Coast & NYC, and Europe. Whew! And thanks Saatchi Art, Singulart, and Troxel Art Projects / 1st Dibs for doing a fabulous job promoting my work. I really, truly couldn't do it without you! You are magnificent and I appreciate you all! Fun Fact: I have artworks on every continent except Antarctica . Tap here to see my available work. The paintings in this post are some that have found new homes so far this year :)
 In the studio working on "Floating Through." Tap on image to see details.  "Sprightly" and "Kinetic." Tap on image to see details. My artistic path has been shaped by my curiosity, a basic understanding of science, and a belief in the power of inherent good that was passed down to me through my ancestors. In my practice as a process-based painter and my observations as a naturalist, I explore pattern, connection, and balance in the natural world. Like many of us, I'm not feeling a whole lot of balance or connection in the human part of the world these days. Here's a fact as we shatter records for high temperature, and with a body politic that's, mildly put, deathly ill: a world that includes humans cannot tolerate this volume of narrow-mindedness, hostility, procrastination, greed, and narcissism. We're the unique species that delivers an excess of all these things into the world we share with many beings. We create our reality every time we put those things into the world whether it's in the form of speech, though, or deed. It's bad energy, people! What are we doing?! Strengthening and rebuilding frayed connections with the natural world and with each other is not an option, but a glaring necessity. I know a lot of people believe we've passed the point of no return, that our future of doom and gloom has been signed and sealed by our own complacency and greed. Well that doomy attitude is getting us nowhere and is building a culture of helplessness that's possibly worse than being a denier. Being a doomer supports fossil fuel's vested interests and political hacks by default. It shuts us down while myriad solutions are at hand begging to be implemented. We have the capacity to create a brighter future. Whether we do is up to all of us. Focused introspection, choices, and actions can move us all toward presence and love and balance. Is that really so hokey? Leaders need to lead, governments need to act, and individuals must lean in hard to support necessary change. The flip-side, doom and gloom, gets us nowhere. It's not about coups or revolutions or right or left. It's about working together toward a new common good in a diverse and changing world. Keep going, every day, one step, then the next. Remember to breathe. And since this is a blog that's supposed to be about my art stuff, yes, I'm an optimist. I'm curious. I'm a doer. I'm a believer in inherent good. I'm basically a nice, invisible older woman with a strong mind and a healthy positive attitude who's grateful to be able to use what she's got. My artworks are a declaration of these convictions and a record of my mercurial adventure. The mixed media abstract miniseries on this page considers the enduring strength of the natural world and our faltering connection to it. Color, forms, texture, and line reveal possibilities of love, life, absence, presence, and longing. With or without us, nature reigns and endures. Balance. The work in this series was created with quality materials left over from other projects, on natural wood, and cotton canvas. Process focused, I created them without plans or sketches, instead rendering them in the moment from an open mind. They serve to remind you of your own strength, endurance, and connection. They invite you to amplify your inherent goodness. After I'd finished this blog, my friend, Amy, sent me this article by Rebecca Solnit, "We can't afford to be climate doomers." She's one of my faves. I just read the article and it's fantastic. You can read it here. She's such a good writer! See more of my work / shop here.
 "Quieter" 43H x 33W inches on canvas. Tap for details.  "An Eye for Color," 79W x 56H inches on canvas. Tap image to link to details.  Happy Summer Solstice!!! I truly hope you have a chance to make the most of this time of year. Here in the studio, I'm feeling the light. My above painting, "An Eye for Color," is a luminous abstract of boldly colored organic forms and gestural line creating a lively sense of space. Its rich palette of bold brights—sky blue, greens, yellows, reds— is striking and healing. This past week, a new mixed media series began to emerge and so far, it's also a festival of color, but in in oil, acrylic, and graphite on wood and canvas. It's fun to see where each of these explorations lead. Stay tuned to see what comes next. At this point, your guess is as good as mine! Outside the studio, an unusually dry spring and early summer has drought conditions continuing into late June. Even the garden weeds seem to be keeping themselves in check. The good news is no mosquitoes. How are things where you live? Enjoy these longest days of summer, my friends! See my available paintings here
Detail shots from some new works in progress. Stay tuned to see how this series comes together.
Whoa. What happened to May?! I just returned from some time off to visit some of my favorite people in Colorado. And all of the sudden it's nearly June and I've got a lot of catching up to do. So this month's blog entry is going to be brief.
Meanwhile, have a look at the details of these two recent paintings. Simply tap on the photos and follow the link. Thanks! Here we go, SUMMER! Enjoy. You can see all of my available work by tapping here.  Bring on the tulips! An icon of early spring, tulips are cherished for their beauty and elegance. As you might guess, the flowers symbolize rebirth and renewal, giving us a much needed fresh start after a long winter. In the language of flowers, petal color also has a distinct meaning. White tulips symbolize peace. They also symbolize honor and forgiveness. And dreams about white tulips mean you're about to experience a new beginning. The white tulips you see in a few of my recent paintings weren't planned. Having them take shape several times makes me wonder about the subconscious mind. As with all of my paintings, I don’t begin with a certain thought, sketch, or direction, but with being open to the emergence of something unexpected, unexplainable. It's fun to see what happens. The above painting. "White Tulip," is an exclamation of gestural lines, shapes, and brilliant colors bursting with energy and life. In the paintings below, white tulips calmly appear in a satisfying tangle of loops and curls. Having only recently noticed the three paintings all had white tulips in common, of course I'm thinking, "White tulips, eh? Is there someone I need to forgive, or worse, something I've done that needs forgiving? Or is this a simple desire for peace and renewal? Hmmm." I'll keep thinking about it and let you know. Spring tickles my wild side. I hope it gives you the urge to create something or plant something or just do a little dance and be embraced by the energy of the season. You can see all of my available work here.  "The Grace of Living Things," 45 W x 60 H x 1.5 D inches on canvas. Tap on image to view details.  "Pure and Simple," 67 W x 40 H x 1.5 D inches on canvas. Tap on image to view details.
Biologist E.O. Wilson coined the term biophilia in the 1980s. Literally, it means love of life or empathy with all living things. The concept has been embraced by artists, designers, and architects, who seek to recreate nature's elements in urban design to promote well-being. Biophilic design draws on natural materials, shapes, light, and patterns to build a connection to nature within the human constructed environment to promote wellness, creativity, and productivity. For many indigenous cultures it has been an essential way of life since the beginning of time. Biophilia is the wellspring of my abstract painting practice. As we shift into seasonal spring, a time of rebirth and renewal, my new series, The Nature of Kinship, celebrates the unsung beauty of plants and our relationship with them—they feed us, they clothe us, they heal us. They create the very oxygen we breathe. As a long-time artist, naturalist, and gardener working to create a permaculture yard, it's taken me a lifetime to begin to scratch the surface of plants' complexities and interactions. We have much to learn from their wise ways. My paintings—swirling patterns, leafy shapes, and abstracted human forms—are a prayer of thanksgiving to life in a tangled verdant world. By embracing the kinship of all beings and bringing biophilic design into our human-built environment we cultivate a greater sense of harmony and balance. I hope you can sense the uplifting energy of these biophilic paintings. I hope they remind you that we are not separate from nature or from each other. We are all kin. But my true wish is to inspire you and your children to seek out connection and appreciation outdoors no matter where you live. See the Nature of Kinship series here.
 "Entwined (The Nature of Kinship)," Michelle Louis, 2023
My first vacay since the beginning of the pandemic was last summer's road trip to the American West. I've driven out there many times before. But this trip was special. Maybe it was being cooped up for so long, but I was wowed. The beauty and immensity of the land and sky hit me hard. I'm so excited to share my new paintings with you.
I've been working feverishly for half a year on these babies and I couldn't be more delighted with the outcome. I'm doubly pleased and honored to be collaborating with Saatchi Art, the world's leading online gallery, and virtual gallery platform, Art Placer. Saatchi Art will be promoting this special collection through their extensive social media and collector network. I'm incredibly grateful to be able to share my work in this virtual gallery space and special collection. Anyone, anywhere with an internet connection can visit. And while it's not like seeing them in person, in some ways it's better. The paintings this trip inspired conjure an iconic story of canyons, sky, mountains, and mesas. Reflecting sensations of place and time, they are not representational landscapes. Here earth and jewel tones are powerful, grounding, and healing. Hard edges melt into soft spaces where spirit and mind are free to roam. Back in my Wisconsin studio, I felt like this series painted itself. A good road trip has that kind of power. For months the shapes and colors I'd experienced out west flew from my mind through my fingers to the canvas. I couldn't stop seeing them and I couldn't stop painting them. I hope this euphoria of shape, line, and color guides you toward a deeper sense of what it means to be alive in this astonishing world right now. Please enter my virtual gallery and have a look!
I've been totally obsessed with a series of 25 paintings based on my roadtrip out west and I can't wait to share some exciting news with you!! Soon!
Goodbye 2022!
Here's my last painting of the year. It's called "Essence." I love how it moves and bends in an imaginary breeze. We've all needed to boost our ability to flow with change the last couple of years. What will 2023 bring? IDK, but I'm wishing you the very best!! Many thanks for your kindness and support!!
During these days of literal and figurative darkness, choosing love over fear, day after day, is a worthy endeavor. Winter's holiday season is a perfect time to foster an attentive "now"—to be active and grateful, to celebrate family and friends and food, and the abundant Earth that sustains us. I am beyond grateful for the privilege of presence, and to you for encouraging my explorations. Your kind words, likes, thoughtful critiques, and support mean the world to me. Choosing love over fear, day after day is not easy. Let's work at it together. Can we begin by sharing our humble gratitude for a moment? It is not from ourselves that we learn to be better than we are. -Wendell Berry Studio news-
I'm delighted and honored to be part of an exhibition presented by James May Gallery. "Shared Space," explores the ideas of collective space: the natural and the feminine. I have 5 paintings included in the exhibition. Now through Feb. 2023. Check out the exhibition on Artsy. The world's leading online gallery, Saatchi Art, has once again included me in Best of 2022. "A year of arresting visuals and creative innovation, 2022 has seen no shortage of impressive art. From boundary-pushing painting to experimental new media, discover this year’s most sought-after artists and exciting new presentations of art.  New painting, "Simpatico." You can see the finished painting and details—just tap the photo! I feel like things change fast this month—the angle of light, the intensity of color, even the feel of the air goes from cottony-thick to crisp as the natural world prepares for winter here in the north. It's been a gorgeous, busy fall. My last garden task of the season is canning the rest of the pears for a sweet taste of summer some snowy night. Outside and in, the windows need cleaning to welcome every sliver of light as daylight dwindles. My bum knee is trying to heal so maybe I'll get to that odious task, maybe not. The firewood is stacked and soon we'll light the first fire in the hearth—a much revered event. Surviving a long northern winter means change and adjustment. We all live with and depend upon the whims of Mother Nature. From bum knees to white-out blizzards, taking note of these "whims"—Earth's patterns, rhythms, and balance—inspires my artwork and life choices. The contrasting fragility and tenacity of life never cease to astound. So a special thanks to the Earth that sustains us, and to you for encouraging my explorations. Your kind words and support mean the world to me. Thanks for reading this and stay cozy, friends! See all my available work here.
 In the studio next to recent painting, "Chroma Glow." Click on image to see details. What does it mean to be engaged with this particular place and body at this particular moment? That's a question that painting challenges me to ponder. Because things happen while I'm painting that tickle my inquisitive brain and soothe my restless body. I find these things irresistible—the centering I feel in front of the canvas, the transcendent moment when surface and paint and motion begin to meld into something that pushes me farther than I thought I was able to go. My outward environment and inner concerns turn mysteriously to color and form. I look up, three hours have passed, and it felt like three minutes. My art-making practice examines this kind of engagement while questioning traditional painting gestures and methods. It is a meditation on pattern and rhythm, on process and repetition, on body and mind. Interacting colors, forms, and layers of paint make meaning not only via the gestures that created them, but through their references to everyday acts like walking, eating, exploring wild places, scrubbing the bathtub, listening, conversing, loving, and longing—all the things that make a life. What does it mean to be engaged with this particular place and body at this particular moment? I think I'll go pick up a paintbrush and keep wondering.  "Color Rush," 47H x 67W x 1.5D inches, on canvas. Click on image for details. I'm taking some time for a road trip. My first vacation since Covid. Yay! See you next month.  Hiking, 11,000 ft. in the Mosquito Range, Colorado.
As a full-time artist who's a naturalist I consider exploring wild places with my canine companion an essential part of my art practice. Each daily trek cultivates a rich palette of experience, movement, color, life, and form ready for my brush. Back in the studio, what becomes a painting emerges from these doings, and the paint, and the moment. My senses kick in—I paint touch, scent, sound, sight, even taste. I make things up. I giggle and fret. I remember, and I aspire.
"Wild and Tangled" explores patterns and rhythms in nature. These artworks extend the sense of how it feels to be immersed in the natural world, vulnerable, yet uninhibited and fully connected. I'm delighted and honored these NFTs were selected as a "top pick" at 1stDibs, a leading online marketplace for extraordinary design. Click on each image to view the NFT.
 My new painting, "Solstice-Earth," June 2022" 30H x 24W x 1.5D inches, on canvas. Click on image to see details. The summer solstice means 15 hours and 22 minutes of daylight on June 21st in Wisconsin. It marks summer's longest day. June 24 is Midsummer Day. Nordic myth has it that dew gathered on Midsummer Day brings youth to aching bones and aging bodies. Since ancient times, people in northern regions celebrate this time of year by enjoying the season's first strawberries. My own ritual is a breakfast of fresh-picked strawberries and a walk in the dewy wild. Here in the wilds on Midsummer Day, thick tangles of green hide legions of eyes. Leaves and scented blooms twine up and up, to a sky full of floating and flying things. Mingled roots burrow deeper and deeper in search of nutrients and water. Wandering the meadows and woods, lost in profusion and plenty, thought finally slows then stops. Within this abundance of wild-living things, it is possible to become absorbed. Not absorbed in the sense of being mentally occupied and focused. Not communing in meditative oneness. Literally absorbed in the sense of being drawn in, swallowed up, ingested by the wholeness of the visible and invisible world. Disappeared. A heart pumps but it's no one's and the trees breathe. Ephemeral, undaunted, these longest days of summer. Click to see details of these paintings:
"Solstice-Earth" "Tropical Fruit" "Octopus's Garden" "Daylight"  I'm delighted to participate in The Other Art Fair Global Virtual Edition beginning in May 2022.  Welcome to The Other Art Fair’s Virtual Edition, presented by Saatchi Art, running May 23 - June 5. Look forward to dystopian islands of discovery in the sky, 150 new artists from across the world, thousands of artworks for you to view and buy, crypto art installations, NFT projects and art for sale, virtual curator tours, conversations in art podcasts and more… Enter the Fair and discover art differently. Take a virtual tour of my fair booth to see some of my favorite works up close and personal See my available and sold work See me talk about my work See everything! Home/Landing page for The Other Art Fair Global Virtual Edition    "Becoming Wild" by Michelle Louis, virtual gallery of NFTs on OpenSea. Click on the image to connect to the collection. Thoughts about my place on this planet and in this universe are undercurrent to all my work. Quietly exploring wild places everyday, I can see things that normally go unnoticed. Animal interactions are common and day-to-day changes in the land and its inhabitants are more easily spotted. Back in the studio, painting extends that sense of how it feels to be immersed in the wilds, vulnerable, yet uninhibited and fully connected. “Rewilding” and "Becoming Wild" are two recent NFT collections of hand-made, IRL(In Real Life) abstract paintings photographed and then digitally worked like a canvas. Each is a high res, 1/1, digital image, unique in the world, for sale as NFTs(non-fungible tokens) on Foundation and OpenSea in the metaverse. Each includes a brief narrative. You can see details and read about them by clicking on an image and then on "Description." What you see on this page is a brief selection from each collection. Thanks so much for your support. Purchasing my work and commenting are not the only ways you've given me a boost. Believe it or not, every time you "like" or even just click on any or all of my photos and links, you help me get my work out into the world. I sincerely appreciate your help.
 Michelle Louis, "Peaceable Being," 38H x 60W inches, on canvas. Click on image for details. Expressing artistic creativity in times like these feels uncomfortable. With all of the things we take for granted while others endure torment, even simple pleasures feel self-indulgent. Grief can seem a constant companion. In my experience, grief is profoundly personal, takes many forms, and doesn't just go away with time. Further traumas can set it off and grief can be cumulative. I've been painting for more than 40 years. One thing I've come to realize is that grief is a wellspring for remarkable art. I don't mean that remarkable art is deeply sad. Or that grief is "good." Rather, it is through the wrenching experience of grief that one can begin to understand and appreciate the full spectrum of what it means to be alive. Working alongside grief, with a little luck, and maybe a good therapist, one can better appreciate its opposite—joy. It's about feeling and expressing the contrast, and balance, and emotion—things an artist labors to master in order to make remarkable art. For most of us it's a life-long, work-in-progress. Having a clear-eyed view of the extremes gives "center" a placeholder. From this centered place, remarkable art emerges in the most turbulent of times. It feels urgent to identify and choose the things we do in our lives that bring us closer to personal and collective equilibrium. For many of us, art-making is one way to do that. So please--say it, sing it, dance it, paint it, write it, play it, compose it. Do your thing. Ask for help when you need it. Help others when you can. Keep going. Art teaches us what it means to be human. We have much to learn. See my available work here.
 Another year's gone by and I'm noticing some new folks around here. So first of all—thanks! You can't imagine how much that means. I'm Michelle Louis from Wisconsin, USA. A full-time painter who's also a naturalist, I'm curious about how I experience the land, how I feel it deep in my bones, how to express that relationship, and what I can learn from it. My paintings resonate with the seasonal patterns, dynamic forces, and synergies that connect us.
I tend to work large scale, painting with acrylic on big canvases tacked to my studio wall. My drive to paint is indefatigable. I work hard. And I'm honored to have been selected by the curators at Saatchi Art, the world's leading online art gallery, as one of their "Best of 2021." One of the strengths as a painter I've worked to achieve is the ability to silence the constant stream of distraction and self-criticism, connect with earth's natural rhythms, and see what my brush and paint will do. Exploring wild places in nature by myself is another way I'm able to tune in. On these kinds of adventures, I'm more aware of things beyond my usual perception. You might spot them in my paintings. Shapes, lines, and patterns appear, disappear, and then recur. Some make sense to me. Others, not so much. I don’t begin with a sketch or specific thought, but with being open to the emergence of something unexpected, unexplainable. I love the excitement of facing a large-scale, blank canvas. The magic that occurs between the present moment and what comes next reflects nature’s alchemy and that’s where I engage. The natural world is still largely cryptic in spite of our many discoveries. What we understand is based on repeated patterns, methods, and materials. My work is that kind of process. It’s active. It arises symbiotically, holistically, in repetition. It's a map of points in time that leads to the “presence” of a finished piece. Abstract expressionist in process, I'm kind of obsessed with how the natural world communicates with me and how I communicate that relationship. I love abstraction as opposed to more realistic work because it challenges my courage as a painter and your openness as a viewer. I especially love painting big because it allows my whole body to join the process, over and over, in silent rhythm. It's so satisfying and has the added bonus of being great therapy for the painful and exhausting auto-immune disorder I'm working to overcome. Trained in studio art, graphic design, and landscape architecture, my studio extends to our yard, where I grow many edibles, including eight kinds of berries—honeyberries, strawberries, raspberries, aronia, mulberries, goji, kiwiberries, jostaberries, serviceberries. Okay, that's nine. Thinking of adding goumi berries this year. Have you tried growing them? Please share your experience. I love being an artist because it helps me cultivate connection while honoring my kinship to the natural world. Thanks for looking and connecting! You can view my newest series of paintings, still underway, here. |
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Artist and naturalist Michelle Louis has a vigorous curiosity about the natural world. Her energetic, investment-quality paintings bring balance and harmony Archives
February 2026
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