Personal Biography

 

Michelle was born in Vancouver area of BC, Canada in 1971 to Dutch parents who emigrated from the Netherlands. She spent most of her childhood drawing and making random art from mud and found objects. Art was not a solid career choice, she felt so she went to work with her father in his auto repair shop. The artist was to come out in her sooner rather than later.

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Now she carves stone into sculptures with power tools.  From soft soapstone to the harder rocks of marble, granite and even quality gemstone jade. The sizes range from pendant 1 inch size to about 5 feet in diameter weighing roughly 2 tons.

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She acquired her Red Seal as an Auto Repair Technician in 2001. She repaired vehicles and also did body work and painted vehicles using pneumatic tools such as grinders and dremels. She did not realize at the time that those skills would lead her to become a stone sculptor.

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She is a self taught artist.  Her first sculpture is the main photo on this website of a reclining nude female.  300 lbs., Brazilian soapstone, 2 foot long, female nude.  She carved it with ease and was unsure how it all transpired.  After that she decided to pursue more carving and joined art contests.