Michele Combs
American
b. 1954
Lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota

I’m a contemporary impressionist oil painter. I love color, thick paint, and the way light plays on objects including water, land, buildings, people, etc. Being a painter has changed the way I view the world as I strive to capture the beauty around me onto my canvas. Instead of seeing things, I’m drawn to values and color that create magical scenes. Picking up a paint brush compels me to connect emotionally with a subject. Where is the light coming from? Where are the shadows and what is hiding in them? As I am drawn into my subject I fall deeper into the mood and excitement. In every painting, I leave a bit of myself there. I am inspired by blooming gardens, the sun rising or setting over a majestic landscape, playful animals, and traveling to distant lands. Everyday scenes of colorful clothes hanging on a line on wash day, a farmers’ market, or a cascading waterfall make me eager to get out my paints and translate that mood and emotion onto my canvas. One of the greatest joys I have experienced as an artist, is when my story intersects with another person’s. We find connection.

My home is Minneapolis. I attended the University of MN for my B.S. in Occupational Therapy. Art is something I was always drawn to but didn’t know it was a vocation to pursue. Today I can say I am an artist, a painter but I’m not really sure when it was achieved. Emerging into an artist was been a learning, growing, and maturing process. My training included traditional realism instruction at the Minnesota River School of Fine Art and led to workshops with talented painting instructors. I’ve studied with the following artists: Mary Pettis, Camille Przewodek, Scott Burdick, Susan Lyon, Marc Hanson, Joe Paquet, Sherrie McGraw, David Leffel, Skip Whitcomb, Richard Whitney, Tim Tyler, and Patricia Jerde. I realize, in hindsight, that though my family tree did not consist of professional studio artists, it did contain extremely creative individuals with strong appreciation, for a variety of art forms. My Norwegian grandmother was an amazing cook and highly skilled in a variety of textile arts: including: sewing, quilting, and yarn arts. My Greek grandfather was an enthusiastic, amateur musician and professional barber. My mother is a keen decorator and antique collector, with a high appreciation for the arts in general. My Irish father worked in the entertainment business and had a soft spot for Latin music. Being surrounded by the interests of the adults in my life, arts and craft projects attracted me. By the time I reached high school, I decided to register for an art class. Unfortunately, it was a frustrating and so I shut the book on the arts. I enjoyed my time as an OT, a career in which arts and craft are utilized as a therapeutic tool. Throughout my adult life art related ventures were hobbies. I was married with two young children, and a job: a full life. Then one day I signed up for a painting class and now I’m a lifelong student. I am eternally grateful for finding my passion, though it came a bit later than I’d hoped. Painting is my way of communicating, interacting, and finding joy in the world.

michelecombs.com
michele@michelecombs.com
Studio - The Northrup King Building, #391, Minneapolis, MN 55413