Michelle Fielding

Michelle has been a practicing artist based in the Ribble Valley for nearly 20 years, exhibiting in galleries and selling commercially. Her work takes two distinct paths: one of sculptural forms, combining her love and study of fashion and textiles, the other being contemporary bespoke paintings. Michelle studied Fashion and Textiles in London before following the call of art, through a degree and master's degree in Fine Art. The sculptural forms are intricate constructions with many layers of detail. Colour, texture, pattern and repetition are important elements of the work. The materials used also contribute to the work that reveals its structure and hidden meaning upon closer inspection. The pieces are labour intensive and time consuming with a repetitive and obsessive process to detail and pattern. Memories and the narratives of history are important concepts that haunt some of the installation forms. Themes of war, remembrance, death, home, issues of the body and identity in society are all just a few areas explored in Michelle's work. The paintings she creates are contemporary in style and of varying sizes. The palette used is bold and intense and the textures are created through her brush strokes and layering paint effect. Her abstracts, still life and floral studies are in a variety of mediums: oil, acrylic and enamel paints. Each painting makes a dynamic statement and results in a striking unique outcome. The Harris Museum, Preston remarks "Michelle is in demand for more and more commissioned pieces both commercially and to exhibit in galleries, as her reputation grows".