‘The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Hi Chickpea, Im so glad to meet you.
My name is Michelle, I am an interdisciplinary visual artist, crazed crafter, creative rainbow mother and mental health advocate.
I am an active community campaigner with involvement in projects from environmental arts, mental health services and specialist services for women.
Known for my mixed media art and art journals, my work explores themes of identity and self, through expressive layering and figurative or naive portraiture.
My work is currently expanding in a dramatic way; intensifying the focus on self portraiture, performance and autobiography.
My mission is to inspire healing through creativity- healing the world, our minds, our souls through creative expression; art, word and music..
I am currently creating a series of online programs that aim to support you at any stage on your journey; whether you want to use creativity as a tool for mindfulness, recovery, reconnecting with yourself, having fun with your kids or simply relaxing!
Who am I?
– I am an interdisciplinary artist; exploring themes of sexuality, emoton identity and belonging through mixed media painting, print making, and photography
– I support others through online resouces in creative recovery.
– Ive been self employed since the age of 17, funding my creative life through facepainting, art and crafts workshops, making jewellery & crafts and selling prints.
– Ive been part of 3 group exhibitions and hosted my first solo exhibition at Underwire festival, a film festival for women in the arts.
– I’ve previously worked on many community projects: I ran a community scrapstore for one year, dreamed up and launched a community art garden, Green Space, taught over 100 childrens workshops (including for Artsway, GreenSpace) and captained a local team of Etsy sellers.
– My passion for helping vulnerable women has led me to speak on Radio 1 Womens hour, Coach trafficked women in creative entrepreneurship for HERA (an anti trafficking charity) and write for the charity Beyond the Streets.
Education
GCSE Fine Art- A*
GCSE English Literature A*
GCSE ICT A*
GCSE English language A
GCSE 3D Art & Design- A
GCSE Media Studies- A
GCSE Biology B
GCSE Textiles – C
GCSE Maths C
level 1 qualification in Addictive Desire Recognition
OCN Accredited event management certificate.
HERA Entrepreneurship Program
Dropped out of Arts University Bournemouth due to Mental Health problems but continued to self teach and study on my own terms.
Awards
High Achievement in Art & Design- Priestlands School Class of 2009.
Exhibitions
– 2013 Nov 19th-23rd – Underwire Festival – Solo Exhibition. The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick, London.
– 2013- I am the WARRIOR- Group Exhibition. John Hansard Gallery, Southampton.
– 2011- Edging Out- Group Exhibition. Forest Arts Centre, New Milton, UK.
– 2008- Priestlands School Show- Group Exhibition. Waterstones bookshop, Lymington, UK.
Employment and Voluntary Work
(Relevant)
Community campaigner
2013-Present
Volunteer
Campaigned for HERA on Women’s Hour BBC Radio 2, Wrote articles for Beyond the Streets, coached 2015 HERA Students on Creative Enterprise, Official Artist for Art Saves Lives International.
Self Employed Artist
2010-Present
Arts Work Internship
April- May 2011
8 Week internship at ArtSway, through the ArtsWork group. Basic gallery management, press relations and promotion. Event management of the Green Space Event
Green Space
2010-2013
Founder
The Edge Project
2010- 2012
Volunteer
Tea Time Boutique- Event planning and management.
Feedback gig nights- Event stewarding, setting up and promotio
facilitating craft workshops
Trident work Experience- Priestlands School
July-August 2008
Arts Technician
Monitoring students, creating displays, delivery of a week long project in eco art, planning and teaching own lesson.
Official Bio
Michelle Morgan is an interdisciplinary visual artist whose mixed media work explores identity, archetypes and emotional autobiography.
Her work is currently expanding in a dramatic way; intensifying the focus on self portraiture, performance and autobiographical themes.
Currently exploring themes of sex, shame/vulnerability and the links with etymology; She hopes to launch an exhibition combining her traditional mixed media work with printmaking, journals and photography to create an intense emotional confrontation for the viewer.
She is a young mother of 1, and active community campaigner in conjunction with specialist services for mental health and women.
