#yycLCL September 2016
It’s the little things. Little textures and shapes in my environment inspire me everyday in my glasswork practice. Little tools often don’t get the glory. When asked what my favourite tool is, I answer the ruler. It’s small yet so foundational to all my work. People tend to focus on the big, bold and radical in order to stand out from the crowd. I look to the little things that connect us and bring us together. It’s the little things in life I always come back to.
Most of my work today focuses on nature—textures and shapes that represent the environment we live and thrive in. I work these textures into glass and place within an environment such as the home, in hopes of bringing people back together and contrasting environments closer. Bring the outside in, let urban and rural connect with those little things (textures and shapes) that connect us.
Michelle was born and raised in Calgary and much of her work is influenced by the nature and experiences western Canada. Using a technique called kiln-forming to melt glass in a linear fashion, Michelle experiments with various techniques to create unique jewelry, functional home decor and sculptural pieces.
You can see Michelle’s work at several upcoming shows—New Craft Coalition on October 21 and 22; Spruce Meadows Christmas Market on November 25 to 27 and December 2 to 4; and at Market Collective on December 9 to 11. Find her on Instagram or at jewelnotes.ca.
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