Michelle Meadow
Photo Credit: Tina La Deur
Compelled to create art that embodies wholeness, my work arises from a deep search for meaning, a commitment to speaking truth, and a desire for connection. Through a contemplative and joyful practice of looking beyond the surface to the layers that lie beneath and beyond, new forms emerge—transcending their origins to become more fully alive. This exhilarating process is continuously inspired by the natural world, which sustains and mirrors our shared human experience.
Nestled between the hills and sky…
…I am steeped in endless inspiration gifted by nature. My revolutionary method of transforming macro photography into three-dimensional sculpture enables new beings to emerge from imagery seeking release from two-dimensional planes, reflecting the transformative quality inherent in us all.
My career and ongoing training as a social worker granted me the profound privilege of witnessing the cathartic power of art and continues to fuel my passion for using creativity as a force for healing, both personally and within group and community settings. My contemporary encaustic sculpture has earned recognition within the national and international encaustic art community and resides in both private and public collections across the United States and abroad, including the permanent collection at the Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Process
Discovering the intersection of macro photography and encaustic fundamentally changed how I sculpt. I developed this method to impel my photographic images into sculptural pieces that can be seen, touched, and newly experienced, using beeswax as the unifying element. Drawn to the endless possibilities that call out from the imagery and wax, I search out forms beckoning for release from their two-dimensional planes, enabling a metamorphosis that brings them more fully alive. I continue to push the boundaries of creating through encaustic, using my love of painting, drawing, and ceramics to deepen the expression of my sculpture. Having always been captivated by the radiant qualities of nature, transforming the small bits found in the untamed world into regenerated beings is congruent with my history of using art as a means for personal change and healing.
“How do we grow through change? We carve one line at a time.”
-Michelle Meadow
I trained for three years through the Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy in Australia (founded by world-renowned leader Cornelia Elbrecht) and am certified in Initiatic Sensorimotor Art Therapy, Healing Trauma in Children with Clay Field Therapy, and Healing Trauma for Adults with Clay Field Therapy. I also received certification as a SoulCollage®️ Facilitator by Mariabruna Sirabella during this time. With my foundation as an MSW, these tools allow me to offer a dynamo of therapeutic healing experiences without being traditional therapy.