By NICOLE VALICEK
A chance encounter with a piece of art five years ago has left a lasting impression on one Spotswood resident.
Artist Michelle Thompson was holidaying in New Zealand with her husband when they stumbled into an art gallery and the only business open on a stormy Good Friday.
One piece of work she described as finger painting on butchers’ paper grabbed her attention – and when she was told it was by an international artist, four words started her own artistic journey.
“I said, ‘I can do that’.”
Today, Mrs Thompson has held numerous local and national exhibitions, her work has been published in national magazines and featured in books published in New York with another on the way in Italy.
“I get a lot of pleasure out of people seeing my work. Whether they like it or not, it’s the fact people take the time to view my work,” she said.
The part-time artist is self-taught and described her work as an experimental mix blending colour and texture expressed mainly in landscape paintings.
“I’m predominantly an acrylic artist that does thing a bit different.”
“I love colour and texture and the ability to create anything.”
In her latest exhibition Mrs Thompson has joined forces once again with former local artist Michelle Downing as part of Hobsons Bay City Council ‘Art in Public Places’.
Ms Downing will be showing a number of intensely beautiful charcoal drawings exploring the human form and relationships displayed at the Mosaic Restaurant, Altona Beach.
Mrs Thompson’s recent paintings of the Macedon Ranges landscape that are highly colourful and highlight the beautify of regional Victoria will also be on display.
Mrs Thompson will also have a further selection of her recent landscape paintings showing in Navacue Accountants, Pier St Altona.
“(I enjoy) the challenge and the ability to just try new things and not necessarily do what everybody else does and just experiment,” Mrs Thompson said.
