Michele Combs

 

Mentoring Philosophy

Mentoring for me is the opportunity to provide a safe relationship for an individual to develop and achieve their artistic goals. Working with a mentee means to encourage, nurture, instruct and share experiences – both successes and setbacks.

I love teaching and mentoring because I enjoy the dynamic of art, life, painting, and personal growth. I enjoy sharing the happiness and creative enthusiasm of people progressing in their art.

There is growth for both the mentor and protégée in this supportive relationship. Mentoring includes discussion of goals and expectations with an openness to reassess as needed. Each individual develops their own unique creative path and it is tremendously satisfying to help the artist find their way.

Artists Statement

I’m an impressionist, landscape oil painter. I love filling my canvas with color and thick paint. Though I am drawn to a variety of subjects, my favorite subject is landscape. It evolved out of my love of the plein air painting process. I paint scenes of the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota and beyond. I have also had the opportunity to spend time abroad creating collections of France and Italy.

Painting has become a way of cataloging my life. Each painting is a small representation of what I’m drawn to, where I’ve been, and what I’ve experienced. My inspiration includes natural beauty, visual intrigue, memories, and relationships between people and their environments. As I attempt to capture the beauty of a scene my sense of place intensifies and time disappears. I truly become engaged.

Painting is challenging, as well as calming. I enjoy the process and the experience of sharing it with others through teaching. I love when people connect to and enjoy my paintings. I’m thankful for my skills as an artist. The more I grow artistically, the more my gratitude increases. My life long goal is to deepen my understanding of what makes a masterpiece and to evolve into the best painter I can be.

My paintings can be found in private and corporate collections.