Michelle Steven, Life Force, 2025
Ink and charcoal on board, 100x76cm ready to hang
Michelle Steven is a Mudgee artist whose current work explores the quiet intimacy between natural and handmade forms, and their connection to memory, time and place. Michelle grew up in Sydney and Europe and graduated from the UNSW College of Fine Arts (COFA) in 1998. After working creatively in product development for the next ten years, she transitioned to full-time art practice with a move to Mudgee in 2012.
Over the course of her career, Michelle has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions nationally. She is a two-time recipient of the Peabody Wilpinjong Prize for Hanging Art through Art Unlimited (2024, 2025) and has also been a finalist for accolades such as the Lethbridge Landscape Prize and the MAP Portrait Prize. Recently she has had work exhibited in a group show at Mudgee Arts Precinct and contributed her skills to a government funded mural project also organised by Mudgee Arts Precinct.
Her pieces have been acquired and commissioned by private collectors reflecting a growing demand for her distinctive aesthetic. She has developed a visual style that blends expressive mark-making with layered composition, earning recognition for both her technical skill and emotional depth.
There is a life force that moves quietly yet powerfully through us and nature, the same energy that fuels imagination and artistic creation. Creativity is something I seek out everyday whether is one hour or many. Whether it’s art, gardening or making a home it is ever-present in my make up. The Eastern Spinebill, with its swift movements and ability to find nourishment in tricky places embodies vitality and the Kangaroo Paw with its quirky sculptural flowers stands as a symbol of creativity and resilience. I wanted to capture not just the forms of nature, but their spirit, that vital energy that inspires us all to create and grow.
Working on wood panel allows the surface to hold both texture and memory. The grain becomes part of the composition, grounding the organic forms in something enduring. Ink provides fluidity and gesture, echoing the delicacy of petals and leaves, while charcoal introduces weight, shadow, and a sense of quiet reflection. My process is contemplative and intimate, layering charcoal in a push/pull dynamic to reveal inky colours and textures. The act of creating becomes a way of reclaiming stillness and presence in a world that demands constant attention.
Contact us about personal payment plans and Layby.
Shipping & Collection
This artwork is available for collection from The Corner Store Gallery or can be shipped after the close of the exhibition on August 30 2026.
This piece requires a custom shipping quote - select shipping option > LARGE ARTWORK CUSTOM QUOTE at the checkout. All artworks are insured and come safely packaged.
As original artworks are unique, all sales are considered final. If your artwork arrives damaged in transit, please contact us as soon as possible so we can assist.
For full details, please view our Shipping Policy or Refund Policy.
Michelle Steven, Life Force, 2025
Ink and charcoal on board, 100x76cm ready to hang
Michelle Steven is a Mudgee artist whose current work explores the quiet intimacy between natural and handmade forms, and their connection to memory, time and place. Michelle grew up in Sydney and Europe and graduated from the UNSW College of Fine Arts (COFA) in 1998. After working creatively in product development for the next ten years, she transitioned to full-time art practice with a move to Mudgee in 2012.
Over the course of her career, Michelle has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions nationally. She is a two-time recipient of the Peabody Wilpinjong Prize for Hanging Art through Art Unlimited (2024, 2025) and has also been a finalist for accolades such as the Lethbridge Landscape Prize and the MAP Portrait Prize. Recently she has had work exhibited in a group show at Mudgee Arts Precinct and contributed her skills to a government funded mural project also organised by Mudgee Arts Precinct.
Her pieces have been acquired and commissioned by private collectors reflecting a growing demand for her distinctive aesthetic. She has developed a visual style that blends expressive mark-making with layered composition, earning recognition for both her technical skill and emotional depth.
There is a life force that moves quietly yet powerfully through us and nature, the same energy that fuels imagination and artistic creation. Creativity is something I seek out everyday whether is one hour or many. Whether it’s art, gardening or making a home it is ever-present in my make up. The Eastern Spinebill, with its swift movements and ability to find nourishment in tricky places embodies vitality and the Kangaroo Paw with its quirky sculptural flowers stands as a symbol of creativity and resilience. I wanted to capture not just the forms of nature, but their spirit, that vital energy that inspires us all to create and grow.
Working on wood panel allows the surface to hold both texture and memory. The grain becomes part of the composition, grounding the organic forms in something enduring. Ink provides fluidity and gesture, echoing the delicacy of petals and leaves, while charcoal introduces weight, shadow, and a sense of quiet reflection. My process is contemplative and intimate, layering charcoal in a push/pull dynamic to reveal inky colours and textures. The act of creating becomes a way of reclaiming stillness and presence in a world that demands constant attention.
Contact us about personal payment plans and Layby.
Shipping & Collection
This artwork is available for collection from The Corner Store Gallery or can be shipped after the close of the exhibition on August 30 2026.
This piece requires a custom shipping quote - select shipping option > LARGE ARTWORK CUSTOM QUOTE at the checkout. All artworks are insured and come safely packaged.
As original artworks are unique, all sales are considered final. If your artwork arrives damaged in transit, please contact us as soon as possible so we can assist.
For full details, please view our Shipping Policy or Refund Policy.
