Meet Michelle Tholen

We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Tholen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Developing my confidence and self-esteem is never-ending and will always be a life-long journey. Some of steps include; Time with my family, close friends and nurturing those relationships. Being kind to myself and others. Taking care of myself. Focusing on the positives and making sense of the negatives. Standing up for myself and others when someone is being mis-treated. Actively doing things I enjoy and trying something new.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Inspired by restrained color and order, I am challenged to create pop using color combination that is refined, suggesting more.

Self-taught I learned to paint studying concepts of Rothko. I find fulfillment creating art on the side. Color fields was my first step into the art world later moving to landscapes. Inspired by color, I seek to create color spaces that match a sensory effect and spectra of light within primary colors.

I recently composed a piece in the Rothko style using gold and teal, it sold within two weeks! I’m a perfectionist and constantly trying to improve and refine my work.

I left a career in public accounting when I realized that audit and tax didn’t satisfy my creative desires. I recognized my artistic talent and as a self-taught artist specialize in contemporary modern art that is driven with a passion for design and creativity.

Since 97′ I haved created hundreds of works, curated numerous shows, and exhibits through-out the bay area. Inspired by Turner, Rothko and Pollock, the work is a reflection.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1, Communication both verbal and written.
2, Refinement – knowing when work is finished to the best of my ability.
3, Determination – not giving up working and re-working until I’ve achieved my goals.
My advice would be to learn how to communicate, over communicate, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I developed my artistic side pretty young. I had a drawing class, 1 of 2 of my only art classes in my entire life, in the 5th grade the second a drawing class a few years ago just for fun. One day I remember taking one of my drawings home, and my mom was so thrilled. She was so pleased with how I was doing in the class, so I kept drawing. I’d keep sketchbooks around, my constant hobby. I kept drawing because my mom admired my work and I enjoyed it. She gave me feel good about what I created. She framed my work and put it on the wall. I was inspired to continue.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://michelletholen.com
• Instagram: michelletholenfineart