Featured Artist: Michele Morcos

We are excited to present this weeks featured artist, Michele Morcos! A good friend of Breathing Colours, Michele continues to surprise us with her paintings, drawings and objects. We struggle to give a specific 'style' to her work, as she sweeps across so many different mediums, from pencils, to felt, to recycled plastic bags!

What attracted you/got you started on your artistic path?

Funny, as I was just talking about this with someone the other day, and marveling at where I am with my artistic practice! It is a gift to be able to play, create, dream, and listen to my artistic intuition everyday.

However, I didn’t always believe that it was possible to live this… I was always a kid who LOVED colouring in, making dolls dresses, and having fun in craft classes in and after school with projects like macramé, knitting, pasta drawings and clay modeling. But that is all I thought it was, just having fun as a kid. Soon I would have to ‘grow up’! It was only when I missed out on entering a fashion design course at University and got a place in COFA’s BFA course at 18 that I began to realize and believe that, yes, maybe I can be an artist!

And 16 years later Im still here, learning something new every single day!

What inspires you?

How much time do you have!!! I find inspiration in everything… the colours in our environments, the light and how it changes throughout the day, people, music, art, children’s creativity and enthusiasm for life and learning, patterns, textures, movement! It goes on and on…. I love taking photos, mainly for my blog, and when I look back at them, I realize that what captures my eye is so diverse. It constantly changes every day!

 

What is your favourite colour pallet at the moment?

Instead of telling you, I think I need to show you…

How would you describe your aesthetic?

Intuitive, textural, colourful, and emotive…. I hope!

Tell us a bit about your studio space…

Well I have had a few in the last couple of years. I was lucky enough to receive a studio residency at a place called Primrose Studios in Sydney for six months, which was life changing for me, and for my artwork. After that experience I moved back to what I call my ‘cobwebs + laundry’ studio which is located underneath my house! But seriously, it is a lovely little nook that is quiet and secluded. However, in winter it is freezing…! Therefore, I usually find myself retreating to a little desk inside my place then, and work on small detailed artworks … mainly because of the space! It’s tiny!!

So yes… I work in seasonal spaces and places!!

       

 If you could peak inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsmen (alive or dead) who would it be?

Ohhhh tough! I have sooo many favourite artists’ that it would tricky to narrow it down! Cy Twombly’s studio in Italy would be amazing to see and breathe in… Also in Europe, I would have loved to have met Sonia Delaunay and seen her space covered textures, colours, and patterns! Oh and then there is Elizabeth Cummings in the bush, Robert Rauschenberg in New York… Geez when would you like me to stop?!

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

Oh again – it’s tricky as I have been so so lucky to have been given some beautiful pieces by some very amazing artists’… especially all the ladies who I have worked with and become close with through Object Gallery. Then there are the beautiful earrings my lovely friend Amy Jenkin made for me a decade ago that I still love wearing today… and the lovely paintings I received for my 21^st birthday.

My room does look like an Aladdin’s cave, or a hoarder house from that reality t.v show…but I cannot deny that each piece inspires me and asks to be displayed! When the objects talk to you, you HAVE to pay attention to their whispers…  and obey!

Thanks a lot Michele for your time and letting us peek into your world! If you would like to keep up to date with Michele's work check out her fantastic blog: http://www.tinytrappings.com/