BIO

Inspired by restrained color and order, the artist is challenged to create pop using color combinations that are refined, suggesting more.

Self-taught, Michelle Tholen learned to paint studying concepts of Rothko. Educated and working as an accountant, she found fulfillment creating art on the side. Color fields was Tholen's first step into the art world, later moving to landscapes. Inspired by color, the artist seeks to create color spaces that match a sensory effect and spectra of light within primary colors.

Following her passion, "Color & Form" was the first step into the art world. Tholen left a career in public accounting when she realized that audit and tax didn't satisfy her creative desires. She recognized her artistic talent and as a self-taught artist specializes in contemporary modern art driven with a passion for design and creativity.

Since '97 she has created hundreds of works, curated numerous shows, and exhibits throughout the Bay Area. Inspired by Turner, Rothko, and Pollock, Tholen's work is a reflection.

Michelle Tholen, a resident of the Oakland hills in California, grew up in the East Bay. She shares her home with her husband and son and their pets: Louie the dog, Luna and Smoke the cats, and Forest the gecko. Michelle indulges in her passion for art and spends her free time tending to her garden.