Michelle Bracewell
Even as a child, Michelle was captivated by the allure of “old things” and the stories they held. Her passion began on trips to her mother’s family plantation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she would spend hours exploring old buildings and a defunct sugar mill, searching for hidden treasures. At just 15, Michelle got her first job at Houston’s iconic flea market, working at the concession stand. The real reward? Scouring the antique booths for treasures after her shifts.
A lifelong artist, Michelle has practiced and studied various mediums: illustration, watercolor, acrylic painting, as well as jewelry making. Her mother, a trained artist, encouraged her daughter’s creativity from a young age. And although her love for art was undeniable, her path wasn’t straightforward. Michelle dreamed of pursuing art as a career, but her father, concerned about its practicality, encouraged her to follow a more traditional route. She thrived in business sales but felt unfulfilled. Creativity was always calling, and after years of crafting as a hobby, she took the leap, opening Maddie Blues Studio. There, she created a whimsical line of enameled jewelry, which she sold wholesale through major markets. Despite her success, the long hours and business demands led her to pivot, embracing a new creative field: web design. In 2000, she launched Bracewell Web Works, a business she still operates today.
Michelle’s passion for art never waned, and in 2012, she discovered assemblage art—a perfect way to blend her lifelong love of collecting with her creative spirit. “After so many years of gathering unique, antique, and rusty things, I needed to find something to do with all of it! It’s such fun to identify a core piece and then build a story around it.”
Her studio is a treasure trove, with shelves of meticulously labeled bins filled with items waiting to find their place in a new creation. For Michelle, the hunt for objects is as exciting as the art itself. Rarely does a weekend pass without her visiting a thrift store, estate sale, or flea market, uncovering pieces brimming with untold stories.
Michelle has lived in Colorado Springs since 1997 with her rescue pup, Ozzie. Her home’s walk-out basement serves as both her studio and office, where she designs, creates, and ships her work. In the warmer months, you’ll find her in her “bee-attractive” garden, tending flowers and vegetables. She also treasures her regular visits to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she soaks in the vibrant art scene and, of course, searches for more unique finds.
Contact
michellebracewell.art
me@michellebracewell.art
@michellebracewell.art
Interview
What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
I really never run out of inspiration! All I have to do is start rummaging around all my treasures until something speaks to me, gives me a whisper of what it wants to be.
How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
My mission has evolved. With the current unrest, my work has taken a moral and political turn in the last six months. But most people won't pick up on that just by looking at my work. They have to read the story for each piece. My stories are an integral part of my work and process.
Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
Hmm, well I do get tired and lose my focus sometimes. I tend to work in manic spurts that can last for a week or several weeks. Then I'm exhausted and take a break and work on my house, garden, or spend more time with family & friends. Then I'll go junkin'—hitting estate sales and thrift stores looking for treasures—and that always gets me back on track. I post process videos on my Insta from time to time.
What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
I try not to let slow sales get me down and I just keep creating. I love what I create, so I figure I'm happy to have it around me for as long as it's meant to be here. I think it's important to create for yourself. Every time I try to create based on what someone has suggested for quick sales, it's been a flop! And creating in my studio is my happy place.
How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
I hope that people will be drawn into a piece by its quirkiness, then lean in, read the story, and go WOW! I hope it makes them "think." At shows, I've had people look at a piece, read its story, and come to me in tears telling me how it moved them. That really takes me aback, but I love it! That's especially so with my art from the last few months. And since I work with mostly vintage and antique objects, my art can bring out feelings of nostalgia for some viewers—it just takes them to a special time in their lives.
