Michelle Thomas

About

Artist Statement

Art was my first love. Long before I understood why I painted, painting understood me. It has witnessed every chapter of my life, teaching me to see beyond certainty and to trust what cannot be planned.

Today, my work is less about creating an image than entering into a conversation. I begin without a predetermined outcome, allowing each painting to emerge through layers of color, gesture, texture, and intuition. Rather than forcing a resolution, I listen. The painting tells me when to move forward, when to pause, and, most importantly, when to let go. That process of surrender has become central to my practice. I am drawn to the tension between structure and spontaneity, boldness and restraint, what is revealed and what is intentionally left unsaid. The mystery lives in those spaces.

As an abstract artist, I seek to create work that cannot be understood in a single glance. My paintings invite viewers to slow down, discover relationships between forms and color, and find their own meaning within the work. Every person brings a different experience, and I believe that dialogue completes the painting. After a lifetime of learning, mentoring, and creating, I have returned fully to my first love with a deeper understanding of both myself and the creative process. My artistic voice continues to evolve, but one thing remains constant: the belief that paintings are discovered.

Group Exhibits

Chicago Alliance Visual Artists Small Work, Elmhurst Artist’s Guild at Elmhurst Art Museum, 2026
CBS NEWS Chicago Jumpstart teaser segment May 14, 2026. One of seven artists LIVE broadcast at Cornelia Arts Building
Woman Made Gallery 2025, 2023
Palette and Chisel 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022
Painters and Musicians 2012 Naperville Chamber Players, Wheaton, IL
Fall Arts Festiva 2001, 2003, 2006 Around the Coyote, Chicago, IL
Women’s Day 2005, 2006 Wm. A. Koehnline Museum of Art, Des Plaines, IL
Winter Arts Festival 2001, 2004 Around the Coyote, Chicago, IL
In View 2004 Suburban Fine Arts Center, Highland Park, IL
Fusion 2002 Big Bang Gallery, Chicago, IL
43rd Annual Dearborn Garden Walk 2001 The North Dearborn Association, Chicago, IL
2nd International Open 1999 Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Chicago ART Open 1999 Third Floor Gallery, Chicago, IL
Trespass 1999 New Moon Gallery, Benton Harbor, MI
22nd Harper National Exhibition 1999 Harper College, Palatine, IL
Art On The Walk 1998 St. James Cathedral, Chicago, IL
Connections 1998 & 2000 Roselle Historical Museum, Roselle, IL
La Piazza Café 1998 Chicago, IL
Emerging Artists 1980 Madison Square Gardens, New York, NY

Teaching & Workshops

Instructor of Drawing, Near North West Arts Council, Chicago, IL
Instructor of Drawing, The Art Center of Highland Park (formerly: Suburban Fine Arts Center) Highland Park, IL
Instructor of Drawing, Sharpe Expressions, Arlington Heights, IL

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Master of Arts, New England College of Business & Finance