Michelle Bird has worked as an artist for over 25 years. She has exhibited internationally at dozens of notable galleries. After finishing the Rietveld Academy’s Orientation year, she apprenticed with the painter-poet Anton Martineau for 3 years. She practiced lost-wax bronze casting techniques at the Honey Arts Modelling Center in Chamba. She received dozens of art grants in Iceland. Artist in Residencies include Baer Art Center, Gilfélagið Art Center, and Sím Association of Icelandic Visual Artists. Her art is in the Swiss art collections AXA Winterthur, Der Landbote, and is in a time capsule on the moon (Lunar Codex). @michellebirdartist
Where were you born and raised? How did it influence your art and your thinking about the world? I was born in San Francisco and spent a few of my childhood years in Hawaii. Part of my family still lives in Hawaii. The abundance of growth of the redwoods and the diversity of California plants and trees, as well as all that flourishes on the islands, laid the foundation for my color palette. The Hawaiian folklore plays a role in how I view nature as a feminine entity. Perhaps it’s why connecting to nature is core to my storytelling.
What sparked your initial interest in creating art, and when did that curiosity shift into a conscious decision to pursue it as your life’s work? I was 14 when I inherited my uncle’s painting box of oil and an easel. I painted a replica of a Renoir painting and discovered that painting came naturally. After that, I was drawing regularly and enrolled in a life drawing class at the local college while I was in my sophomore year of high school. I worked as a designer in the Netherlands in my late twenties, which is when I experienced the loss of my dear friend and colleague, who was an exceptional artist. It was then that I decided to change my life course, and since then, I’ve quit my job and dedicated my last 26 years to painting and living from my craft.
What does your typical day in the studio look like? Walk us through your studio and your most used materials and tools. After I wake up, I check my mail, then I do about an hour of Icelandic grammar lessons. When I'm finished, I shower and start my day as a painter at about 10 am in the spring, summer, and fall months. I paint most of the day, uninterrupted, for about 16 hours. I take a break and cook a good meal. If the weather is good, I will paint outside on the deck overlooking the farm. We live on a farm in the south of Iceland near the ocean.
What are you currently working on, and what themes or ideas are you exploring? I have been working on a series called “The girl, the horse and the highlands” for the past year and a half. This trinity of the most impactful elements in Iceland, combined with the color palettes of my beloved Icelandic painters, is captivating.
What do you hope people feel when they experience your art? My aim is to create a kind of magic with my alchemy. I hope that people connect with the whimsy that nature presents us, and that my work will remind us that the magic of nature is real and we all have the ability to be alchemists. My paintings should open up their dreamworlds.
Which artists, past or present, would you like to meet? And why? Definitely Eugene Delacroix. Not only because he was devastatingly handsome, but also because his horses and tigers are so full of fury and power. And Louise Bourgeois, because of her honesty and integrity in diversity in her craft.
Do you draw inspiration from music, art, or other disciplines? I feel as though I draw inspiration from all facets of life and living. And that opportunity in the form of space and time is all that I need.
Where do you live now, and what do you find creatively nourishing about your surroundings? I work on a remote farm far from any other influences other than nature and weather. This environment creates a clarity that facilitates authenticity of expression.
Tell us about important teachers/mentors/collaborators in your life. My mentor Anton Martineau was truly the most passionate artist, and being his apprentice was a major part of my artistic development. I learned to appreciate and see what it meant to paint and bring this medium to life.
Does being in nature inspire your art or your process? Absolutely, repairing our disconnections from the wonders of nature is the essence of most of my work. And yes, being immersed in nature is essential for my artmaking.
What is your relationship with technology and AI as a creative tool? I am doing my best not to go there. I am old school and am very much devoted to the tactile and transcendental experience of creating.
Exploring ideas, art and the creative process connects me to… The natural world, others, and my psyche.
