Michelle D. Ferrera

Influenced early on by her creative close-knit family, Michelle spent her early years intoxicated by the imaginary worlds and games she and her sisters created with Artist father, Richard Ferrera. Michelle's Art, which primarily included writing short stories, journaling and sketching, evolved while studying at Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ. While refining her technical skills, concentrating on Figure Drawing, an opportunity to be an exchange student at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia added more color and experimentation.  After graduation, Michelle spent the next few years as a furniture painter, school and Wedding photographer, Art Instructor and Mural Artist, all giving flexibility in her schedule to travel.  Experimenting with different mediums combined with traveling during those years fueled her brain with new ideas. 

Michelle busted beyond the journal late 2007 while needing a larger canvas. The first durable surface she could find in the garage was a scrap piece of wood. The Late Nite series took on a heavy span of about two solid years and will remain open. During this time Michelle introduced more collage and mixed media into her work loving the freedom in this style. It mimicked the free-writing in her journals bringing a different side of her to life. 

Michelle's style, tools and materials are emotionally fueled and inspired by her life experiences. In early 2010 the Artist's personal life threw another curveball and with emotions at an all time low, Michelle stuck to the basics. Utilizing different kinds of wood from the scrap bin at Home Depot and donations from friends and family, she simply drew out her emotional rollercoaster. Series after series she began to take pride in the wood, sanding and perfecting it as she took care of her own physical well being in the process. What started as a way out of depression turned into a celebration of life. Concentrating on each detail, stroke and shadow, her technique is currently evolving and growing again, under the West Coast sun. Under a new roof and inspired by new creatures, adventures, and fresh love, Ferrera is diving deeper into the process adding new back frames, built and created by her. In the Artist's words, "the wood serves as a reflection of me, my body...and the pencil, my soul. What I'm learning is that my audience can see, hear and feel themselves in the art I create. It was never the intent, rather a therapy for myself. My emotional truth has set me free, my hope is that it does the same for you."