“Michelle Tholen is an exciting American artist who has exhibited her work throughout California. Inspired by Rothko and Pollock, she focuses on the use of colour combinations and abstract lines to create works full of purpose, clarity and light. Standout elements of Tholen's artistic aesthetic are its sensory effect and vivid primary colours.”
“Thank you again so much! We love it.”
“Acclaimed San Francisco artist Michelle Tholen is a master at creating lush tonal views of Northern California filtered through soft light.”
“From the get-go, we wanted to use a neutral palette to allow the space breathing room and to provide a backdrop for their growing collection of art. We went with a black, white, and gray palette that is easy to live with and can look good with pops of color in the art pieces.”
“Variations on a theme — simple, clean form; elegance in color; changing light and perspective; all elements engaging you as you absorb the range of the collection.”
“Thank you very much for the wonderful work. It looks amazing. I really like the vivid colour of the orange contracted with subtle, sombre blue and gold. I thought it may be too many colours but you did a great job of coordinating them and not making it crowded.”
“Color and Form featured in LUXE Interiors and Design Magazine.”
“The artist creates a lure of light in color suggesting more than color and light found in the spiritual that illumines, fills and enlivens.”
“Tholen's landscapes are timeless riffs that almost abstract the horizon — a mix between reflection and refraction. It's that sort of natural light that Michelle Tholen captures in her paintings, a light that inspires even as it is presented without sentiment. Her work speaks to the deep connection between sky and physical earth; the division of sky and ground give Tholen's landscape paintings an ethereal feeling and a balanced symmetry.”
“Tholen departed her first career as an accountant to explore and nurture her creative desires. She is self-taught and has drawn inspiration from modern artists such as Rothko and Pollock to create her own style.”
“Ethereal abstract landscape by local artist Michelle Tholen.”
“Tholen's landscapes suggest real and imagined, familiar and foreign places that reveal depth, drive imagination and create mystery.”
“The clean and balanced composition of Tholen's art reflects on the art of Rothko and Pollock in a style of its own. From abstract lines and landscapes to crisp color block paintings, Tholen has a strong control over the architecture that forms her work.”
“Saw your work at Gump's and really liked it.”
“Michelle Tholen is an exciting American artist who has exhibited her work throughout California. Inspired by Rothko and Pollock, she focuses on the use of colour combinations and abstract lines to create works full of purpose, clarity and light.”
“Gallery — Architect Craig Steely's Modern Vision Revives a Humble 1908 Edwardian in Bernal Heights.”
“The clean and balanced composition of Tholen's art reflects on the art of Rothko and Pollock in a style of its own. From abstract lines and landscapes to crisp color block paintings, Tholen has a strong control over the architecture that forms her work.”
“I was in Ruby Living in Mill Valley today and saw some of your artwork. I immediately loved it.”
“Michelle Tholen brings out the ethereal and evokes a sense of place, real or imagined, playing with contrast and emotion without fussing or overworking her pieces. Michelle's pieces are created to bring form to her inner world.”
“The painting arrived today and I absolutely love it! The colors could not be more perfect for the space and I'm so excited to display this beautiful piece of art in my home.”
“I absolutely love the piece. The more I look at it the more I love it.”
“Featured in California Home & Design and Jonathan Rachman Design. To complement the master bedroom's stunning view, Rachman kept it simple — reflective dark wood on the headboard and a stormy-gray throw are a beautiful counterpart to scenes of San Francisco's notoriously fickle fog.”
“I love it! That's what it needed. It has a transparency to it even though it is a fairly deep color saturation.”
“Tholen's inspiration is drawn from the landscapes in Northern California — the sustenance of stunning mist-laden rivers, lakes, and waterways infused with atmosphere and a sense of tranquility. Hopeful in feeling, they suggest real and imagined, material and ethereal, familiar and foreign places.”
“When I learned that she was an accountant before becoming an artist, I was blown away. I can only imagine what guts it took on her part and the self-awareness that she had to follow what fulfilled her. Her showings absolutely pack a place.”