“Being an artist and being creative is who I am. It is so ingrained in me,” Tesa Michaels said. “I’m a fifth-generation artist, second professional from my mom and third as a fine artist from my grandma.” Michaels describes herself as a mixed-media artist, but is better known for her oil paintings that combine nature-inspired abstract canvases and hand-places semi-precious and precious stones.
She said the work sometimes takes years to create, especially now that she started experimenting with larger paintings. Two of those, 7 foot by 7 foot and 4 foot by 8 foot artworks, are part of her collection showing at Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art in Sedona.
“Those both took at least two years. I hold the stones and put them together and I just get so excited when it comes together in that way. It’s such a spiritual process for me because it comes together and it just kind of flows,” she said. “It takes so long, it takes a long time to paint it, a long time to dry. I will let it dry for a week to a week and a half before it needs to be moved.”
Michaels was in Sedona during Memorial Day weekend for the opening of the exhibition. Although the red rocks might differ from the landscapes she grew up with in Colorado and her home in San Diego, Michaels said there is a familiarity to the area.
“I find it very comforting and very grounding, and it has a serenity to it. There is just a different energy,” she said. “It’s interesting, I really resonate with reds and browns. You’re going to see that a lot in my work, and Sedona, as you know, has so many reds and browns.
“The colors of the rock, it’s such a comfort to me and I find more comfort in painting those darker and richer colors so it goes hand-in-hand with me,” Michaels continued.
Looking at her work, it is clear nature is one of her main inspirations. Landscapes and sunsets, she said, are some of her favorites. However, Michaels’ paintings have something unique that sets them apart from other landscape painters: The semi-precious stones.
The reason for her interest in the stones is her mother, Kathy Kaberline. The two travel all over the world looking for stones to create jewerly and Michaels’ artwork.
Kaberline is also the reason for her daughter’s relationship to art. Growing up in an artistic household, Michaels started experimenting with arts from a young age, but it was discovering oil paintings that kick started her career.
“[My mom] taught me to do my first oil painting when I was twelve and that’s what sparked everything,” she said. “I went on and it turned out to be that, that was the one thing I was good at and really loved. I couldn’t spell, do math and in that sector, it’s kind of comical.”
Michaels started exhibiting work throughout high school and ended up studying Fine Art in college. However, her career took her to the advertising world, where she worked as an art director before realizing art was her calling.
Being in love with oils since a young age, she considered painting her medium and only choice for a long time, even working under other artists and following traditional styles. That was when, once again, her mother’s influenced changed everything.
“She said, ‘Why don’t you start incorporating this into your work?’ I looked at her like she was crazy because it was mixed media,” Michaels said. “So, I tried it and my first one had just one stone and my second had eight little pieces of amethyst to it and it just grew from there. We keep collecting the stones and it’s such a joy that we have. She really has been the foundation behind a lot of this.”
The realization that she could add to her work didn’t only give Michaels a “mixed-media artist” title, but also that it was OK to bring in new ideas and products, as long as her collection continued being cohesive.
“There is a certain level of focus that needs to come into that. Sometimes as an artist if you get too all over the place, people get confused,” she said. “The stones really fit with me. It was so hand in hand with who I was as an artist. With that, I really found that happy place.”
“My work brings in so many elements of who I am because I pull in so many things that are going on in my life like the things I resonate with,” Michaels added. “It’s the stones, it’s the energy, it’s the colors, and really finding that combination of everything.”
Michaels has been working with Exposures for a few years now and said the gallery also helped her grow and find inspiration due to being around other artists.
“[Exposures has] been so supportive and open when receiving my creativity and my work. They have been so professional and given me such a wonderful platform to express my creativity,” she said. “You don’t get that with every gallery. They create that limitless arena for me and I’m so thankful for that. “
Michaels work is available at Exposures International Gallery of Fine Art. For more information, visit exposuresfineart.com, call 282-1125 or (800) 526-7669 or email sales@exposuresfineart.com.
1A
