Michele Jaffe

My work reflects my abiding respect of nature. The abstracts I create echo the world I see around me as well as the imagined world I know is there. Most of my imagery comes to me from my unconscious. I usually let my hands, arms move freely, pushing and pulling the paint to form imagery that feels emotionally strong and satisfying. The process takes many attempts and multiple layers of paint, massaging, scraping and manipulating until it feels complete.

The texture, smell and brilliance of the medium inspires me to explore. When I experiment and let the process take over, I’m amazed at how seamlessly objects and nature unite with each other.

Michele lives in Malibu California, and was raised in Southern California where she studied art, dance and literature. Eventually she landed in the software industry but retired in 2015 to pursue her lifetime passion for art and specifically painting. Michele has studied with various instructors, and for eight years with Los Angeles based artist Tom Wudl.

Michele is the chair emeritus of the StudioEleven Artists cooperative and a past Board Member of the Fellows of Contemporary Art (FOCA), and co-chair of the FOCA Curators Lab Committee. Michele has been a Los Angeles DCA COLA jurist, and has exhibited in group shows at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, Malibu City Hall, the Barrett Gallery in Santa Monica and The Neutra Institute Museum and Gallery in Los Angeles.