The Bellarine Peninsula boasts a plethora of many talented local artists, and it is always a pleasure for me to meet many of them in my travels.
On this wonderful occasion I was invited to visit the Artisans of Australia Gallery in Drysdale for Local Artist Michelle Boland's Debut Solo Exhibition: Metamorphosis.
Michelle in her 30's, is a Bellarine Local and has lived here all her life.
She is a single mother with 5 children and diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) but has not let this stop her in the pursuit of her dreams.
Even during her most challenging times, and moments of self-doubt, she pushes through and takes her own advice to keep going.
Michelle, a painter of just two and a half years, dug deep for her inspiration to start. As a teenager, she always liked to sketch, and enjoyed being creative.
After separating, she took Art Classes and went from there, growing her experience and education. Michelle has completed a Diploma of Visual Arts and was excited to share her news with me that she has been accepted into Deakin University to complete 3 years of full time study for her Bachelor of Creative Arts.
Michelle came across the Artisans of Australia Gallery when she saw a post on Facebook by Gallery owner Helen Meikle. She messaged Helen and after discussions it was evident that Michelle aligned with Helen's vision for her great hub for creative minds, and thus had no hesitation in booking a permanent bay at the Gallery.
To take it a step further, Michelle approached Helen Meikle to conduct a solo exhibition.
She wanted to increase momentum in the hope of people attending to enjoy her Art, which is a Celebration of years of study, portraying a snapshot and evolvement of all her learning, and thus her Metamorphosis Exhibition came into fruition.
Michelle loves bringing her surrounds to life, and the majority of these scenes come from photographs she has taken herself. She brings emotions and feelings of the day into her work, with the use of colour, light and movement into the paintings.
She can never keep up with her endless flow of ideas. Her passion for what she does is always evolving and even though she has not found her niche yet, her strengths are Acrylic paintings, specifically seascapes and landscapes.
Michelle's advice for all who are thinking about starting or pursuing a direction in art:
"Give it a go - everyone is artistic in their own mind. Use your creativity to keep expanding, and associate with other Creatives. Stick with it, all good things take time, and your abilities will catch up with your mind, as you continue to evolve."
Michelle's hope for the future is to exhibit more and establish herself as an artist whilst she continues to evolve her work.
Click here to visit Michelle Boland's "
Arty Chelle's Corner" Facebook page.
Artisans of Australia Gallery is located at 40 Murradoc Road Drysdale.
Click here to visit
Artisans of Austalia Facebook page.