Friday, April 4, 2008
Friday Featured Artist - Michelle Zindorf
It has been a few weeks since I brought you a featured artist. I know you enjoy my product reviews too, but I really wanted to get back into showcasing all of that amazing talent out there... so today I am bringing you one TRULY AMAZING ARTIST! (and that is Artist with a capital “A”)
Michelle has been stamping since 2004 when she was invited to a Stampin’ Up! workshop and immediately became hooked. (Well, with over a thousand stamps in her collection, I am not sure “hooked” is the right term... addicted might be a better one! - grin) Michelle is currently a hobby demo for Stampin’ Up! and is an alumni for the Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen. I have been a fan of Michelle’s work at Splitcoast for quite a while, but I really went ga-ga for her stuff when I stumbled upon her blog Freedom in Creating. I was instantly awed by her artistic take on stamping and cardmaking. As she is also a Pastel Artist, I am not surprised. Michelle has the amazing ability to make her cards into actual pieces of artwork... you have to see it to believe it! (And she shares just how she creates each piece on her blog... with easy to follow tutorials and step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow!)
This “Sunset Pine” is a gorgeous combination of techniques and colors...you can actually feel the depth she has created here. And this “Lone Tree” just resonates in my soul. What a sweet, sad, strong presence this tree has. It is amazing that she can create these emotions with a bit of color and some ink. True talent!
When Michelle is not stamping or painting, she is hard at work as the Finance Assistant for AIDS Resource Center Ohio, a non-profit agency that assists people that are infected or affected by HIV. You can get more information about the organization HERE.
Michelle also enjoys spending time with her husband of 17 hears, two grown sons, and beautiful granddaughter.
When I asked Michelle what she likes about stamping, she said that she loves being able to create a piece of art quickly with rubber stamps. (And like I said before...with her stunning techniques and gorgeous backgrounds...her stamping IS art!) And her advice to new or beginning stampers? Stamp, stamp, and stamp some more! Find a site that has weekly challenges and do them as often as possible.
This piece is my favorite. While Michelle keeps her layouts simple, there is nothing simple about any of her work. By layering and building color, she can create depth and movement in her cards. Can’t you just feel the soft sunset breeze flitting over the wheat stalks?
I’ll leave you the whole weekend to drool over her work... and I’ll see you back on Moday! Thank you Michelle - Hugs!
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