Michelle Bellamy
Artist's Profile
Painter.
Michelle has been interested in art from a very early age. At 15 she started exhibiting with the Rutherfoed gallery, Nelson. Michelle is mainly self taught, although both parents are artists, her Mother a illustrator and Father a painter & photographer. She gained valuable knowledge and critiques of her paintings from them as her skills developed over the years. At 17 she finished school, left home and started painting full time.
A major influence was Graham Sydney. Michelle studied as many art subjects as was allowed during high school. During her last year she studied Graham Sydney, Michael Smither and gained excellence for her portfolio where she studied Colin McCahon.
The surrounding countryside of Nelson and further south were inspiring landscapes for Michelle. She had extensively explored the Boulder Bank bachs and based two exhibitions around them, as she enjoys the originality and rustic appeal. Although she now resides in the central North Island, her eye is still drawn coastward and the body of work she is currently working on is based around coastal bachs and boatsheds.
Michelle has worked in all mediums but has a great love for the special qualities that acrylic paint offers. Acrylics suit her temperament and particular way of working with paint.She prefers working on board and feels it suits her style of painting.
Over the past few years Michelle has enjoyed working abroad in such inspiring places as Switzerland, Italy and Canada. However the beauty of New Zealand draws her back and she has a deep personal bias for New Zealand vistas.