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Michelle Caitens
AFC
Australian and International Wildlife and Nature paintings |
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Growing up among the sand dunes and farming areas in the hinterland ranges and beaches of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, Michelle was always surrounded by animals, both wild and tame. In her childhood, she spent a great deal of time at a neighbouring dairy farm, fascinated by a wildlife carer who looked after abandoned or injured sugar gliders and feather tail gliders, returning them to the local bush whenever possible.
Since then, Michelle has travelled extensively with her husband and children through Europe, North America, U.K., Japan and Australia which has greatly influenced her appreciation of the natural world and particularly the unique wildlife of Australia.
Michelle lives in Brisbane, Australia within close range of beautiful natural features such as coastal beaches, World Heritage-listed rainforests, mountain ranges and Moreton Bay with its whales, dugongs and dolphins.
While exploring her own country, Michelle has been fortunate to have had some wonderful wildlife encounters. She has swum among the corals and creatures of the Great Barrier Reef, walked among sea lion colonies on Kangaroo Island, sat with echidnas and wombats in the wilderness regions of Tasmania, seen a shingleback lizard in the outback, a lyrebird in the rainforest, dingoes on Fraser Island, witnessed mutton bird migration, penguins coming ashore to their nesting burrows from the sea, platypus in their natural creek habitat and wallabies in the Snowy Mountains. Once such connections are made with the natural world, one is never quite the same again - respect deepens and bonds form.
Michelle was a school teacher and has been involved in schools with art workshops and mural projects as Artist-in-Residence, currently working in a World Vision student mentoring program. For many years, Michelle worked as a dance teacher and calligrapher and has painted numerous murals in private residences and illustrated music books. Although her focus is mainly on nature and wildlife art, Michelle enjoys taking portrait commissions and painting historic homes and people.
'For me, to be working in a field that can be of such purpose and for which I have such a passion, is to truly find a place in the world. In the process of researching and creating a painting, I come to understand a little more about the animals, the synergy with their environment and begin to look at the world through different eyes... not only seeing the beauty in the majestic, but also the extraordinary in the ordinary.'
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Support for Conservation:
Michelle is a committee member and editor of the Queensland Wildlife Artists Society and, in the role of creating the Society's newsletter, promotes many conservation issues and wildlife preservation organisations to members and supporting businesses.
Michelle supports a number of local, national and international conservation organisations including the Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld, Wombat Protection Society of Australia, World Wildlife Fund, Currumbin Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital, Australian Orangutan Project, Save the Bilby Fund and Wildlife Warriors, Australia Zoo.
As well as donating prints and paintings to groups such as the Wombat Protection Society of Australia and the Australian Orangutan Project as part of their National Art Exhibition, Michelle pledges percentages of sales through the AFC website.
Michelle has also adopted an orangutan infant named Chaka at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program Centre at Batu Mbelin in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
Special Achievements:
- 2012 - Best Small Works Award
Queensland Wildlife Artists Society International Show, Logan Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
- 2012 - People's Choice Award Winner
Queensland Wildlife Artists Society, 'Circle of Life' exhibiton, Richard Randall Studio Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
- 2011 - People's Choice Award Winner
Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Wildlife Hospital - Queensland Wildlife Artists Society 'Wild Art for Wildlife' Exhibition
- 2010 - Editor's Choice - Wildscape Magazine, U.K.
http://www.wildscapemag.co.uk
Winning painting used as front cover image of Wildscape Magazine, UK (Volume 10, Issue 3) as part of International Wildlife Art Exhibition, Qld Wildlife Artists Society (QWASI)
- 2010 - People's Choice Award Winner
Moreton Bay Art Awards, Pine Rivers Art Gallery
- 2010 - First Prize Matt Campbell Award
Arts Alliance Artsfest, Brisbane
- 2010 - First Prize and People's Choice Awards
Bell Art Show
- 2010 - First Prize Pastel
Dakabin Art Show
- 2010 - People's Choice Award Winner
Australian Orangutan Project National Art Exhibition, 'Through Orangutan's Eyes'
- 2010 - Best in Show
Australian Orangutan Project National Art Exhibition, 'Through Orangutan's Eyes'
- 2009 - First Prize Matt Campbell Award
Arts Alliance Artsfest, Brisbane
- 2009 - Best in Show
Dakabin Art Show
- 2009 - First Prize and People's Choice Award
Bell Art Show
- 2008 - People's Choice Award Winner
Gympie Gold Rush Art Competition, Gympie Regional Art Gallery
- 2008 - Best in Show
Arts Alliance Artsfest, Brisbane
- 2008 - First Prize Pastel
Arts Alliance Artsfest, Brisbane
- 2008 - Lasting Impressions Gallery Encouragement Award - Highly Commended
Kenilworth Celebrates! Art Competition
- 2008 - Best in Show
Matthew Flinders Art Prize, Bribie Island
- 2008 - First Prize Oils
Matthew Flinders Art Prize, Bribie Island
- 2008 - People's Choice Award and Packing Room Prize
Bell Art Show
- 2007 - Special Encouragement Award
Qld Wildlife Artists Society, Logan Art Gallery
- 2007 - First Prize Pastel
Gympie Gold Rush Art Competition, Gympie Regional Art Gallery
- 2007 - People's Choice Award Winner
Gympie Gold Rush Art Competition, Gympie Regional Art Gallery
- 2007 - Bronze Award Watercolour
Wildlife Art@CSIRO Discovery Centre, Canberra
- 2006 - Second Prize Native Australian Wildlife
Royal National Show, Brisbane
Collections:
Michelle's paintings are found in private collections around Australia and internationally.
Publications:
- Artist's Palette Magazine - Feature Article (2010)
- Feature Article (Edition 84) explaining Michelle's techniques in painting the eyes of animals, both wild and domestic.
Author: Michelle Caitens
- Artist's Palette Magazine - Demonstration Article (2008)
- Demonstration Article (Edition 58) describing the step-by-step processes and techniques used in the completion of one of Michelle's paintings.
Author: Trevor Lang
- Artist's Palette Magazine - Feature Article (2008)
- Feature Article (Edition 58) showing the first few paintings of Michelle's career and her transition from acrylic and watercolour paints to heat-set oil paints.
Author: Michelle Caitens
Organization Membership:
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