Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michele Boll. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michele, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I think I always knew that I wanted to be an artist. One of my earliest memories was when I was quite young. My grandmother used to babysit for me when my parents went out. She always brought pads of paper . I would spend the evenings drawing until I fell asleep. Unfortunately, one day she brought glue. I decided to wallpaper over the new wallpaper in the living room. That did not go over well!

However, wanting to be an artist did not seem a viable path as I grew up . There was always the fear that I would not be good enough, and that it was no way for a woman to have a career.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I actually majored in English at Brandeis, and minored in art -again the fear of committing. I eventually went on to to get a Master’s in Education, thinking I would teach English. However, during my student teaching, I kept wandering into the art room. That was certainly a clue. Shortly after that, I took a job doing art therapy with elderly people at a rehabilitation hospital. I heard many life stories. There was a common theme to many: regrets. It was often the thing they really wanted to do but never really tried: a job, a lost love, a passion. I learned the lesson, and applied to art school at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I found my home.
I worked as a professional artist after I left the Museum School. I began to show work in Newbury Street galleries, the DeCordova Museum, and the Rose Art Museum among others. In 1981, I was awarded an Artist Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, now the Mass. Council on the Arts and Humanities. In 2016, I was inducted into the National Association of Women Artists.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Sometimes life interferes . After my daughter was born, sustaining an art practice seemed impossible. I needed a more reliable income. I began a 29 -year career teaching high school art. Though I am a painter, I ended up teaching mostly Ceramics,and Sculpture. In the beginning, I was learning as I taught. This ended up being a gift: I knew how to learn the process -and my painting and professional art practice helped me develop curricula and lessons that focused on creating meaning and visual symbolism in student work. I wanted my students to reflect who they were, and how they saw their. world. My creativity went into developing these lessons. And it left me itchy to once again really do my own work.

I retired from teaching in 2014. I now maintain a studio at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell . And I am painting full time. Again!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I invite the public into my studio during Western Avenues’s monthly Open Studios. My work focuses on the effects of light and shadow, and how these elements create drama and mood. I do a lot of cityscapes, and some still life painting. The emphasis, though, is always the drama in these ordinary places or objects. When a visitor comes to my studio and tells me how my work has moved them, it means alot. My painting is truly my voice, my ability to communicate.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.micheleboll.com
• Instagram: michele boll art
• Facebook: michele boll art