Michelle Schultz is a painter based in Bend, Oregon. She earned an art degree from the University of Georgia and began the first three years of her artistic career exhibiting work in Wellington, New Zealand. Her work is influenced by her Lebanese heritage and roots in the American South.

The artist has been creating acrylic paintings exploring feminine strength and ancestral connection by capturing the intimate moments within her own spiritual journey. Vivid colors communicate the sensitivity and emotion in her work. Through paint, she creates a channel for the viewer to connect to one’s own sense of self more deeply.

She recently had a solo exhibition with Scalehouse Gallery in Bend, Oregon, and worked with galleries in both Portland and Philadelphia, as well as showing internationally in multiple juried group shows. Her paintings have been published in many international art magazines, including Bend Magazine, New Visionary Magazine, Women United Art, Suboart Magazine, Bend Home & Design, as well as the cover and a featured interview in Cascade A&E.

She is also the host of the podcast She Who Paints, where she shares knowledge and healing for other creative entrepreneurs.

Through my paintings, I create a pathway to preserving memory and exploring identity. I use layer upon layer of color to create works that pulse with energy and evoke life’s complexities. My art is deeply influenced by my childhood on a 100-acre farm in the Deep South and my Lebanese heritage, weaving together themes of nostalgia, resilience, and spirituality.

The women in my matriarchal line inspire and permeate my work. I carry with me the strength of generations of women who laughed and labored in the kitchen, their lives rich with resilience and love. My paintings often depict female archetypes—stoic yet vulnerable, hopeful yet unyielding—their eyes meeting the viewer with boldness and truth. These figures reflect the lessons passed down to me: to embrace honesty, to celebrate joy, and to honor struggle.

Floral motifs emerge in my art as a nod to my spiritual connection to the natural world. Each petal carries a sacred vitality, embodying the life force I aim to capture. These motifs remind us of life’s ephemeral beauty and our own impermanence and passage of time. With loose, expressive brushstrokes, my work pulses with intimacy and vulnerability, revealing the soul beneath the surface.

Through paint, I explore the beauty and pleasure in everyday moments, celebrating the splendor of the world and encouraging others to see it anew. From the strength of my grandmother, who worked the farm with her own hands, to the vibrant heritage of my Lebanese roots, my journey is mirrored in the layers of my art. Whether depicting patterns of heritage or evoking the feminine experience, my work invites viewers into a world where nostalgia and spirituality converge, offering a bold and emotive reflection on life’s complexities.

Contact

https://michelleschultzstudio.com
michelleschultzstudio@gmail.com
@michelleschultzart

Interview

What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
My inspiration comes from community and connection. My relationships are the most important thing in both my life and art. Human intimacy and vulnerability fascinate me, and I often paint to reveal life's hidden truths. In every exhibition I do, I strive to create community because art is a beautiful way to remind us that we are not alone.

How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
My mission as an artist is to shine a light on our connection to our ancestors and the feminine strength within us. I use my art as a channel to see deeper within myself, which in turn invites the viewer to do the same. I do so with emotive color, female figures, ephemeral flowers, and historical patterns. I want my art to create a soft, dreamy world where our souls can find peace.

Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
Creating vibes in my painting space is the most important part! I love lighting candles, having soft textures around me, and pouring my favorite drink. It has become a ritual, in a sense, to create from a clean, bright place where I feel safe.

What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
I have an innate drive that keeps me moving forward in my career, but taking time to stop and realign with my spirit and what I truly want is so necessary. It helps me stay on my own path and not be seduced by ego or social media. I do this monthly or quarterly by journaling, meditating, and physically writing out my goals and dreams. I take frequent breaks to avoid burnout and make sure my decisions and offers are soul-based. I do love finding mantras I connect with and listening to podcasts on my walks to keep my mindset positive and hopeful.

How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
I want my art to offer the world a place to land, to rest, to contemplate. I want to take the viewer out of the busy worries in their head and place them back in their body, so they can truly feel something in the present moment. Art helps us feel connected to humanity and a little less alone in this big world.