Meet Michelle Reeves | Fine Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Reeves and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
“Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career? Because it was ABOUT DAMN TIME!

What a gift it is to know as a child what you want to do “when you grow up”. And what a travesty it is to know what you want to do and ignore your souls voice. I’d like to encourage any reader with children to really listen to what your children say they want to be when they grow up. My son wanted to be a race car driver and has loved cars all his life. He grew up going to races and car shows with his dad. But because being a race car driver seems impossible to accomplish, it never was a real goal for him. Until…….on his 16th birthday I bought him a Corvette driving experience. The feedback he got from the instructor was too good to ignore and now my son has his SCCA license is on his way to a real career. This story is important because we are all born to do something that comes natural to us. Creating and art came naturally to me, but as a child, it didn’t occur to me that I could be a professional artist. It is such a tragic thing to suppress natural ability or ignore it altogether like I did. So when you ask me why I pursued an artistic career, I think the answer is: my soul had had enough suppression and decided to rear her pretty head through course-work when I decided to go back to school for an interior design degree at the age of 52!

All my life, my artistic voice has been screaming to get out. And every once in a while, it would through make-up artistry, small projects, but never with a canvas and paint.

In 2017 at the age of 52 I went back to school to get an interior design degree. I thought this would fill a void I have felt all my life. Something miraculous happened, through course work, I started to paint and it was volcanic. I exploded with enthusiasm and content. I painted daily for hours a day like if I didn’t paint, I would explode. That’s what happens when you suppress the natural you all your life and then let her out. I finished the year, but started painting, getting feedback and pursuing opportunities. In 2019 I won my first award for a painting called “Self Portrait” and decided to enter shows, more contests, exhibitions and create/paint full time and as a profession. To date, I’ve shown in Washington DC, NYC, Ohio, CA, TN, Paris, sold work all over the country, attended artist residencies in France, won over 30 awards, been published in numerous books and magazines and sell work on a regular basis. So I guess you could say I am the definition of a “late bloomer”!

*NOTE* Please, for the love of what you love, remember, you never “outgrow” what you loved doing as a child!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an abstract floral artist. I love color and I love flowers….I always have. Flowers stop me in my tracks, they speak to me, I love their fragrance, color, shapes and leaves. And color effects me physically and brings me joy. When I started to paint, flowers exploded out of me, I tried to paint other things, but NOPE it didn’t bring the joy.

I think what sets me apart from other floral artists, is just my personal voice. My paintings are just me and because I’m always growing personally, my art grows too. I don’t like to paint just one way ALL the time. I have one series called “My Coloring Book Series”, and it references what my childhood coloring book pages looked like. This discovery happened while attending an artist residency in France. Before this discovery, I was painting primarily with just palette knives, but this series was with heavy outlining and brushes. .

Lessons and what I want people to know about me: Be gracious, be kind and don’t put limitations on who you are and what you want to accomplish.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I don’t think of Nashville as my personal playground. My son went to K-12 school here, played sports, my sister and her family live here and now my parents who recently relocated are here. So my go to places are family and friends. I’m not a fan of the Vega-vibe downtown, but am a big fan of the friendships that have been forged with the warm-hearted people/friends/clients I’ve been in contact with for the past 14 years of living in Nashville!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband Steve always has encouraging words. My sister Dawn, and her husband Johnny (my brother from another mother) have also been incredibly supportive. I dedicate this to them, for without them, my journey would’ve been a lonely one.

Website: https://www.michellereevesart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellereevesartnashville

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/michellereevesart

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

Image Credits
Studio pic: Johnny Gerhart Photographer