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Michelle Wilson's Artist Studio

Michelle Wilson is an artist based in Louisiana whose work is shaped by a life of service, travel, and homecoming. Born in Michigan, she met her husband while serving in the United States Army in South Korea. They married in Tennessee, lived in Kentucky—where their first daughter was born—and later moved to her husband’s home state, where their second daughter was born. After 17 years away living and working in Germany and Texas, her family returned in May, and she is grateful to be building her art life and community here.

Michelle’s creative path is deeply tied to education. She spent 14 years teaching multiple subjects and seven years as an art teacher, bringing both structure and imagination into the classroom. She holds a Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction, and her background in learning design continues to influence how she builds meaning, layers symbolism, and guides the viewer through a visual narrative.

What began as a personal hobby grew into a profession through her decision to pursue art education—starting with painting as a pastime in Texas, then taking the exam to become an art teacher. Over time, her studio practice deepened beyond the classroom and became the central passion of her life. Much of Michelle’s current body of work is faith-based, created as an act of worship and a visual expression of hope, grace, and renewal.

Completely self-taught, Michelle’s training is the result of relentless study and hands-on practice—learning through YouTube, museum visits around the world, lessons at teacher conferences, and community painting experiences. Her work is influenced by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo, and she embraces a “renaissance woman” approach to making art—sculpting, drawing, needle felting, crocheting, woodworking, and embroidering—though oil paint remains her favorite medium.

Michelle is available for commissions. All original paintings are one of a kind, and she also offers a small selection of prints.

Follow Me

Follow Me (oil on canvas, 18 x 24) is part of my ongoing Christ-centered series—paintings created as an act of praise and worship. This work is set during the Sermon on the Mount, where Christ’s teaching is both proclamation and invitation. I wanted Him to feel present and approachable—joyful, engaged, and speaking directly to the people gathered around Him—so the viewer senses not only the message, but the warmth of the Messenger.

Compositionally, I placed Christ forward in scale and light, allowing His open gesture and expressive face to become the focal point. The crowd is arranged in natural clusters across the hillside, reflecting how people would realistically gather—close enough to listen, yet leaving space around Him as the center of attention. Their varied expressions suggest the range of hearts present in that moment: attentive, questioning, comforted, and stirred. The expansive sky and open field reinforce the idea of revelation in the ordinary world, while the deeper blues of His robe create a visual steadiness that draws the eye back to His face and calling hand.

For me, Follow Me is not only a title—it is the essence of the Sermon on the Mount: a life-defining invitation into the Kingdom. This painting is my way of honoring Christ as Teacher and Lord, capturing the moment when His words meet the listener and ask for a response.

Why Did You Doubt?

Why Did You Doubt? is an 18x24 acrylic painting from my ongoing Christ-centered series, created as an act of praise and worship. The work centers on the moment immediately after Peter falters on the water—when Christ reaches into the storm and speaks the question that is both correction and compassion. I built the composition as a visual ascent: the lower portion of the canvas carries heavier, darker values and denser movement to embody panic and sinking, while the upper field opens into brighter, lighter color, guiding the eye toward rescue and steadiness.

My handling of paint draws intentionally from two influences. From Van Gogh, I borrow the urgency of expressive mark-making—brushstrokes that feel alive, charged, and emotionally immediate—allowing the sea to pulse with turmoil rather than sit as scenery. From Monet, I draw on atmosphere and light: softened transitions, reflective color, and the sense that illumination itself can carry meaning. Together, those influences help me hold both intensity and tenderness in the same frame—turbulence rendered with energy, and grace suggested through lifted light.

In this series, I am not simply illustrating scripture; I am painting devotion. Why Did You Doubt? invites the viewer to linger in the turning point—where fear is met by a hand extended, and the storm becomes the setting for mercy.

Prints are for sale.

Light and Thorns

Light and Thorns is 16X20 acrylic on canvas. (original) A part of my ongoing Christ-centered series, created as an act of praise and worship. In this work, I focus on the tension held within the Passion: suffering made visible, and divinity still present. The crown of thorns is rendered with stark clarity, while a soft field of light halos Christ’s head—an intentional visual language that suggests ascendancy and holiness even in the moment of death. I built the blood in thick, textured crimson so that sacrifice is not only depicted but physically felt on the surface of the painting. Against this, the pale pallor of His skin is deliberate, communicating a passage beyond mortality rather than a simple ending. The background remains restrained to keep attention on expression, texture, and value—the meeting place of agony and glory.

The title, Light and Thorns, names the central paradox I return to in this series: that radiance and suffering coexist, and that the darkest moment can still carry revelation.

Prints are for sale.

Why

Why… is a 16x20 acrylic on canvas. (original) It is a monochromatic meditation on Christ’s passion, painted as part of a devotional series created in praise and worship. Using only black and white values, the work relies on contrast, mark-making, and negative space to heighten the emotional force of the face and the crown of thorns. A sharp division between light and darkness becomes both compositional structure and theological tension—suggesting the cry of forsakenness while also leaving room for a second interpretation: Christ as the “why,” the reason beneath suffering and the source of meaning. The direct gaze holds the viewer in a quiet confrontation, inviting sustained looking and reflection. Minimal palette, maximal presence.

Prints are for sale

Beloved Son

“My Beloved Son” — An 18x24 Textured acrylic on canvas (original)
Created as part of a Christ-centered series and offered as an act of praise and worship, My Beloved Son centers on the baptism of Christ as a moment of intimate encounter and divine affirmation. The most pronounced texture is reserved for the figures—built into the garments, hair, and water cascading from the body—so the surface itself reinforces the reality of the scene: flesh, weight, and presence. By keeping the surrounding water and background more restrained, the composition concentrates attention on the human contact between Christ and John, while the upper field opens into radiating light and the descending dove. The work moves visually from dark currents below to luminous atmosphere above, echoing the spiritual arc of baptism: humility met by blessing, and identity spoken into light.

Prints are for sale.

Other Works

Gabrielle

This 18 x 24 acrylic portrait of my daughter, Gabrielle, is an exploration of presence—how intimacy can be conveyed through restraint. Painted in a black-and-white value range, the work relies on light, shadow, and edge rather than color to shape emotion and identity. I chose a close crop and an upward gaze to emphasize reflection and interior life, allowing her expression to feel both confident and softly contemplative.

The composition centers on contrast: luminous highlights across the face and forearm emerge from a deep, quiet ground, creating a sense of stillness and depth. Subtle shifts in mid-tones describe form while the simplified background keeps attention on her features and the curve of her pose. Small points of light in the jewelry echo the highlights in her eyes, reinforcing the idea that what shines most is not ornament, but spirit. Ultimately, this portrait is a personal act of love—an effort to honor my daughter not only as a subject, but as a young woman becoming.

Abigail

This 18 x 24 acrylic portrait of my daughter, Abigail, was painted from a photograph taken on her 21st birthday—an image that holds the spark of a milestone and the unfiltered joy of becoming. Rendered in a black-and-white value range, I intentionally removed color so the emotion could carry the entire composition. Her wide smile, animated eyes, and playful expression become the subject as much as her likeness: a celebration of personality, humor, and life fully felt.

The strong contrast and simplified shapes push the portrait toward immediacy, almost like a spotlight in a dark space—drawing the viewer directly into her energy. The glasses catch and frame the light, emphasizing her gaze, while bold edges and exaggerated highlights heighten the sense of motion and laughter contained in a single moment. Ultimately, this piece is a personal record of joy—an homage to my daughter at a threshold age, capturing not only how she looked that day, but who she is: radiant, spirited, and unmistakably herself.

 

Grand Weekend

This painting was created from a photograph I took of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island during a weekend trip with my family. I was drawn to its sweeping architecture and the feeling of stepping into a place that seems timeless.

In translating the photo into paint, I emphasized the hotel’s long rhythm of windows and columns and used an upward perspective to let the structure rise above the hillside. The bright sky and open green foreground reflect the clarity of the day and the quiet joy of being there together.

More than a landmark, this piece is a memory—an image of travel, family, and a moment worth keeping.

 

Cheyenne

This 18 x 24 oil portrait was painted as a tribute to my sister-in-law, Cheyenne, who passed away from cancer in 2021. I wanted the focus to be her light—her warmth, her humor, and the way her smile could fill a room—so I chose a close, intimate composition and emphasized her bright expression and direct gaze.

The rich skin tones and luminous highlights are meant to feel alive and present, as if she’s still here with us in the way that matters most: in memory, in love, and in the impact she left behind. This painting is not only a likeness—it is a remembrance, a way of honoring Cheyenne’s life and holding space for the grief of losing her, while celebrating the joy she gave to everyone who knew her.