Michelle Jung – methodical and keenly observant – creates expressive oil and mixed-media paintings that speak to the heart. When you first walk into a room with her paintings displayed on a wall you may see an expansive seascape, an intimate floral scene, or a quiet landscape. As you move in closer to her paintings, what was once clearly in focus begins to melt and break apart into gorgeous abstraction. Her painting process begins with thoughtful slowness. She then moves in quickly with her brushes and puts down deliberate, confident strokes of paint. Layer by layer she builds her painting. The result is an impressionistic portal into a world of light and dark, intriguing abstraction, and multiple planes of perspective that arrests our eyes and profoundly stirs our innermost emotions. As you stand before one of Michelle’s seascapes, you not only see the waves roll in and break upon the rocky shore – you hear the crash of the waves and smell the salt in the air.

Though Michelle’s interest in art goes back to her childhood, it wasn’t until she turned 40 years old that she started painting. Long before starting painting, Michelle received her bachelor’s degree in art history from the Colorado State University. For a time she worked in several art galleries. That experience led to her gaining solid skills selling art. Later, she honed her business acumen when she started and managed an insurance agency. However, her love of art began to assert itself - she keenly wanted to learn how to paint. She began taking workshops from accomplished representational artists. At age 47, Michelle returned to school to earn her MFA in painting. She consistently practiced painting outside and in her studio. The result? Michelle Jung is an award-winning oil painter whose work has been exhibited in a number of group exhibitions and shows. She is a signature member of the American Society of Marine Artists as well as the California Art Club. She is also a member of the Salmagundi Club and The Guild of Boston Artists. Her example shows it’s never too late to start painting!

In this episode, Michelle explains her process of painting and how deep observation, along with outdoor painting and sketching, form the foundation for painting from memory her larger studio works. In our conversation, she talks about her thoughts on composition, shares information on the materials she uses and experiments with, and reveals the surprising reason for her choice of aspect ratios of her paintings. She also shares with us her unique approach to marketing her art and brand. Michelle is not only an accomplished painter, she is also a collector of fine art. Now that’s someone who truly loves art!

Mentioned in this episode:

Michelle Jung Website: http://michellejungstudios.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellejungart/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellejungart/?hl=en

Documentary - The Price of Everything on HBO: http://www.thepriceofeverything.com

Energy Energy Design: https://nrgdesign.com/work/michelle-jung-fine-artist/

Len Chmiel: https://carlolson.tv/artful-painter/len-chmiel-an-authentic-nature-12

Brian Rutenberg: https://carlolson.tv/artful-painter/brian-rutenberg-abstraction-is-a-process-11

About the Artful Painter:

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