Gust Gallery - Fine Arts

Michelle Austen is a full-time Calgary artist. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Michelle has called Calgary home since 1979. For over 30 years Michelle has attended numerous formal art classes, workshops and residencies in the pursuit of her highly successful career.

Her focus is on creating artwork that reflects her inner self… an untiring passion to produce colorful and exciting expressions in oil, watercolor and acrylic that play on our emotions. Michelle is a fervent plein-air painter with a focus on Western Canadian landscape and floral subject matter.

Michelle's art work is represented by Masters Gallery and Gust Gallery in Alberta, Canada. Her artistic inspiration and enthusiasm have also led to Michelle being invited by the Calgary School Board to participate in their Artist-in-Residence program to teach art to hundreds of elementary students each year. Additionally, dozens of Calgary youth and adults benefit each year from her private art instruction classes.

Painting is where I get to show up and experience what I am feeling in any given moment.

Without judgment, I let things flow... unfold naturally. I become an observer. The process and medium is chosen to best reflect what I am trying to express at that moment.

Although I paint in all mediums, Oil and acrylic are my mediums of choice. The medium I choose is dependent on my inspiration and the feeling I want to achieve. I love to use color, texture, layering, glazing, and words to express my intention for the piece and explore my creativity. Painting truly has made me realize that the fun and excitement is in the journey not the end result. I am constantly humbled and in the next moment exhilarated.

The process of painting teaches me to look inward and listen to direction. Each painting begins with a vision, as I watch it unfold it reminds me of the constant ebb and flow of life. Teaching me patience, acceptance and courage to keep exploring.

A successful piece to me is one where energy and life flow is experienced between a 2-dimensional surface and myself, and then is spread further to be felt by the viewer.

I hope to encourage the viewer to take the time to breath, reflect and slow down enough to realize the beauty continually unfolding around us.