Biography - Michelle Mitchell

Michelle Mitchell is a self-taught artist who specializes in soft pastels.  She has been painting since childhood and has developed her style over the years to create art that closely resembles photography.  She resides with her husband and two daughters near Buena Vista, Colorado, overlooking the mountains of the Upper Arkansas River Valley, and spends considerable time in her art studio.

Michelle has lived most of her life in Colorado and has always had an interest in wildlife.  In her twenties, she began pursuing a more professional application of her talent.  Befriending another accomplished pastel artist, Martin Bettin, she learned from his techniques and developed a preference for pastel art which became her primary medium. 

In recent years, Michelle has become proficient in her medium, being able to detail paintings in a way that makes them lifelike.  With an abundance of wildlife on her property, she has access to a nearly endless source of inspiration.  Her works have earned numerous awards at regional exhibitions and are held in many private collections.

"I feel as though I am continuing to learn something new with each painting.  I enjoy the difficult paintings because if it's not difficult them I am not learning." ~Michelle Mitchell