Michelle Lamothe is a landscape artist whose works are inspired by the scenic views of the Canadian West Coast and Prairie Provinces. Her landscapes reflect a personal experience with the outdoors, capturing the richness of the Canadian mountains, forests and lakes.
Michelle’s interest in art began at a young age but her true passion resulted after being invited by her uncle to attend one of his art classes. That is where her journey to work with oils began; however, for many years her love of art was primarily expressed through her career as an Interior Designer, having received a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). The use of colour in interiors was always of interest to her and she travelled to Scandinavia as a part of her studies to broaden her knowledge in this area.
Running a successful interior design business and raising two children didn’t leave her much time to pursue her painting, and it wasn’t until her children were grown and her work slowed down that Michelle was able to more fully pursue her passion painting with oils.
Wanting to further explore portrait painting, she spent time learning from Maestro Isis Rodriguez in San Miguel Allende. Since then, she has incorporated people into many of her works in order to create more interest and add human scale in her paintings.
Michelle’s strong design background has been an asset in how she approaches and completes a painting. As a designer, detail was an integral part of a successful project, in addition to strong architectural hard lines. Landscape painting proves a contrast to the structure that was necessary in her profession.
As she continues her journey, Michelle’s knowledge, experience and passion for painting the world expands. Art has no boundaries, and she seeks to continue to embrace the experience.