Honoring the Artist: Michelle Marie

For a woman who has traveled around the globe, this week's cover artist, Michelle Marie, is a "down-home" person who clearly feels comfortable wherever she is. Still, she doesn't fit the stereotype of a sophisticated world traveler, a "jet setter" who dabbles in various professions. We're glad to say that Ms. Marie's values are planted firmly on the ground. Which is certainly appropriate since the current cover proves her love for the earth, particularly flowers.

Q: The cover this week, "Flowers From the Garden," is part of a series. Tell us about that.

A: Wherever I go, I paint the flowers, whether it's Paris or the South of France. But this is my favorite one in the series, and it's from my own garden at my home in the Hudson Valley.

Q: The style reminds me of Expressionism. I know that's one of your favorite styles as well.

A: Yes. I love to depict subjective reality through exaggeration and distortion. I love the German Expressionists, like Max Beekman. Leila Struble is a contemporary artist I also admire.

Q: Your technique seems expressionistic in its approach, too.

A: I use a palette knife to apply the oil, building it up in layers.

Q: How about your philosophy of art, the content?

A: I love art that has a purpose, that's well thought out, that's executed well. As far as what I do and how I feel about my art, I'd rather give my art away to someone who appreciates the time I've spent rather than sell my work to someone who will just put it on the wall and who doesn't understand what I'm doing.

Q: You have had dual careers; both art and music have played important parts in your life. How did that come about?

A: When I was 18, I went to Paris to study art. I came back to New York with a friend planning to stay only a week, but I fell so in love with the City that I stayed here and continued to paint. But I had been classically trained as a pianist when I was growing up in Atlanta, so that led me to continue with my music also and release several albums. I even started my own label.

Q: There came a point where you decided to devote yourself exclusively to art, however.

A: Yes. I realized that I was an artist first, a musician second. But the birth of my son, Hudson (named after Henry Hudson) made it seem like I did nothing before he was born.

Q: For you, what's the relationship between art and music?

A:It's a spiritual connection, not only what most people would say, like there are similarities between the two arts when it comes to rhythm and so forth.

Q: I can imagine you share a connection to film as well.

A: Yes, I have even written some screenplays. In film, there's the same emotion, the same creativity; as an artist I look at the cinematography the camera angle, the color.

Q: What's your newest project, which, I assume, has to do with the visual arts?

A: I just completed a series of winter trees painted on oak panel boxes and a sculpture with bronze as the base and stainless steel at the top. I will be showing them this week at the Vered Gallery.

Q: You have done so many things and lived so many places. I have a feeling you do it for a sense of change.

A: Yes, I need change, variety. But I can't think of anyplace I'd like to live or visit that I haven't been to before.

Q: Not many people can say that.

- Marion Wolberg Weiss

Ms. Marie's work will be on view at East Hampton's Vered Gallery on July 27. Her website is www.michellemarieart.com.

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