I seem to have been born a perfectionist, and believed there was no room for mistakes in this world. My art is the antithesis of that. Although it has been a long, arduous journey, I have discovered that it’s okay to make mistakes...to be messy...to have fun and enjoy what you’re doing. I now understand how to play and be free. My style is a visual expression of this fearlessness.

Michelle Renée Bernard mixed media artist

When working on a project, the process or piece may evolve, but I enjoy that unpredictability. Nothing is written in stone! There is no manual! You don’t have to follow directions! And you can change your mind! I make mistakes and I can fix them. It took me years to believe that about my art.

Conversely, I can labor over a piece for hours, weeks or months. I evaluate every feature and carefully choose exactly what objects get placed and where, so that I can create just the right mood for a piece. I savor the moment it evolves into an authentic representation of my original idea.

I delight in the irony of making something beautiful out of something discarded. Inspiration often comes from broken, worn, antique and found objects. I love working with something that had a life before me. A story. I see the magic in it and challenge myself to bring out those special qualities while transforming the item into something new and meaningful.

To satisfy the many facets of my personality, I work with several different mediums in a wide range of artistic styles. From this place between whimsy and irony, my work emerges as a curious reflection of who I am. And because each new project is really an exploration of self, I revel in the personal evolution that is an inevitable part of my creative journey.