We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle ASARCH. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.
Alright, Michelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I am in a unique position as an artist and as an art teacher. I have been creating artwork as long as I have been teaching it. While some might think that I would be a teacher first and an artist second, I actually think of it the other way. Every time I teach a class on figure drawing or help someone with their composition, make a sketch, or help a student come up with ideas, I am actually developing my own work and strengthening my own skills. As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, I also find that when I stop and work on my drawings, while I can’t say I find exuberant joy through my art, I find a sense of calm and tranquility while I work. I shut off the voices in my head that tell me that I’m not good enough, talented enough, or anything enough, and just focus on my own process and on creation. How can I think about being talented enough when I have a hand to draw or a foot to shade? It takes all of my focus to bring my work to life – there’s no room for any doubts or anxiety.
Michelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Michelle Asarch and I am an artist. I do drawings, paintings, and digital art, as well as teach all of the above. My main focus is within figure drawing but I have create portraits, animal drawings, video game paintings, and some digital graphic design. When I was 12, I was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis. Two of the vertebrae in the back of my neck were found to be disconnected, resulting in nerve damage down my entire left side. After two surgeries, a medical halo, a neck brace, and over 8 years of physical and occupational therapy, there are still times where I can fool people into thinking that I do not have a physical disability – and even fool myself. My artwork focuses on the human body as a direct link to the trauma that I have experienced and still experience through my chronic pain. When I look at my drawings, my main thought is how beautiful and unique each body is and what extraordinary things it is capable of.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Having studied Studio Art at a liberal arts university, I know that I am very privileged. I’ve been lucky to get to take art classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology and that I got to not only learn but also be a teaching assistant at Binghamton University. I’ve been able to go to art lessons and life drawing meet ups through Drawing NY, Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, the Society of Illustrators, and Spring Studio, all in NYC. What I’ve realized through this, is that there is no one way to create. All of the rules that I was privileged to learn in school can be thrown out of the window! I had a teacher for figure drawing in college who taught one way to draw. Every day he would look at my work and criticize that I wasn’t understanding what he was trying to teach me, and every day I would leave class in tears. I finally understood the George Bridgeman style of drawing during one of our final classes, but if you asked me to show you what I did differently, I don’t think I would know how to. Having taught now and worked on my own drawings for 8 years, I can tell you that those rules don’t matter. Learn the styles and the techniques that work for you. Like Picasso recommends, it’s helpful to learn the rules, but then don’t be afraid to break them. Looking at my work now, do I follow the same principles that I was taught in school? Absolutely not – but I can see where the inspiration is still there.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
1. Make and Mend. If you are just starting out, don’t go ahead and spend thousands of dollars on a new line of materials. This is a second-hand art seller that has an incredible range of products! 2. Facebook Buy Nothing groups. You would not believe the amount of drawing and painting kits that I have found and given to my students from these buy nothing groups! They are an incredible resource
3. If you are interested in figure drawing, look up different life drawing meet ups in your neighborhood. You may be able to find some associated with an art institution, or maybe even just general meetups. My personal favorite is Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School for their fun and innovative models and themes!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.michelleasarch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psychopsychic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelleasarchart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-asarch/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MichelleAsarch
- Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@michelleasarchart