Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Armas.
Hi Michelle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been painting since I was a kid. My dad is a great artist and he indulged me with supplies and let me just draw and paint away as a little kid. It’s the only thing I ever wanted to do. I eventually got a graduate degree in branding and graphic design and went to work in my dream job in New York. I lasted about six months before I decided that I hated it, but in the meantime, to deal with the soul-crushing stress of staying up all night to figure out how to sell stupid products better (eye roll) I started painting with oils to soothe my wounded spirit. Luckily for me, it was the advent of blogging and I decided that my new dream job was going to be supporting myself by making art at home. No long subway commutes, no competitive coworkers, ahhhh bliss. I have been doing my “dream job” for 12 years no and I will be painting until my arthritic hands can no longer hold a paintbrush and I have to hire hot young men to come and help me paint.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think when you know what you want and you can visualize it, taste it, feel it and you are just about to get there… it’s impossible not to achieve the goal. So in that sense, sure it was smooth. Most of the bumps along the way have been ego-related. I mean that I put expectations upon myself from external sources to achieve certain things for my ego, not really for my soul or sense of well-being. But I guess I learned not to do that, or I should say I learned to notice when I am doing that and then re-focus on staying true to my values.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a painter working on canvas in every medium of paint I know of. I create several different types of pieces, depending on what I feel like exploring or a new idea I may have. Currently, I have been creating Totem paintings which are explorations of color and tension of course like duh, but also they are about our auras, our energies as individuals or when we come together to create communities. How we overlap and how we are all connected in our consciousness and in our physicality.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am a medium risk taker, I would say. I don’t think it’s risky to make something kooky or really new and put it out there into the world. If someone hates it, oh well whatever. I guess grueling art school will erase your pride. I don’t like to take risks that could disturb the delicate balance of my personal/ home life situation. I have a husband and a daughter and I have wanted to buy up houses and remodel them for years but it would have been too stressful on my family so I just sat on my hands with that one. I was not willing to take that risk. Back to the creative risk-taking, I am ready to take some larger risks with my creations starting this year b/c my child is finally out of the “small kid” age and my brain is feeling the extra space to flex some creative muscle.
Pricing:
- Starting from 395usd
Contact Info:
- Email: armas.design@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.michellearmas.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellearmas007/
Image Credits:
Michelle Armas
