Artist Statement
Michele Taras prefers to paint with acrylics. She paints directly onto the canvas, and any blending is done there. Her paintings have a striking colour combination and a style that is easily recognizable. She believes strongly that in art there are no rules. Art must speak from the heart.
In a time where social media makes it is easy to be influenced by other’s painting techniques and subject matter, Taras relies heavily on images from her imagination. Every piece tells a story that the viewer is invited to imagine. The use of primary colours, whimsical style, and symbolism in the paintings create a bold focal point in a room, and a subject of conversation that will please homeowners and collectors alike.
Artist Bio
Michele Taras is an internationally acclaimed photographer, exhibiting in galleries, winning top international photography contests and publishing in books and fashion magazines including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Harry Rosen, and Vanity Fair. She is also a clothing designer and has been seen on the runway at Fashion Art Toronto, Vancouver Fashion week and more.
Her work has sold across North America, Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Taras has been accepted into many juried and solo shows and her paintings have been on display in Sotheby listings. Taras has been compared by local journalist Kitty Huisman as: “Picasso as if he fell into a rainbow”. Taras has exhibited at: Beaux Arts Gallery, Brampton; Steve Wilson Gallery, Niagara Falls; Noodle Gallery, Alton; Headwaters Art; the Mississauga Art Gallery.
Taras defines her style as “contemporary art naïve” with an emphasis on imagination, patterns and curvy lines. Her abstract style, although loose and fluid, often contain a geometrical and repetitive pattern.