2022 Self Portrait, acrylic painting full process

Once a year, I paint a self portrait -- this is mine for 2022. This year, I tried to reproduce my face from a photo, which definitely gives the painting a different feel than prior portraits. I'm very grateful for the artistic growth I've made in the last year. The pandemic and overall state of the world have completely upended my life as it was, but I am looking toward the future with fresh eyes. 💖 Acrylic paints, craft glitter and makeup (eyeshadow, highlight, blush from MPZ cosmetics) on stretched 12"×12" canvas, sealed in epoxy resin.

Sunnyside Kitty Love painted frying pan, acrylic painting full process

Reach out to each other 💛 Two kitties float inside of fresh, transparent egg yolks while their eggs fry (as if cracked in the pan). One kitty sleeps soundly, while the other is beginning to stir and puncture its yolk sack in order to reach toward its sibling. Acrylic paint and craft glitter sealed in epoxy resin on a recycled 12" Teflon frying pan. felted bottom to prevent wall scratches. Overall, this project took roughly 8 hours of total effort. To be honest, I am extremely proud of this piece. In a very direct way, it represents what I hope to accomplish with Crowbar Arts - breathing new life to "trash", keeping microplastics out of the water supply (in this case, Teflon), and transforming something ordinary into its own, beautiful experience.

Crowbar? My artist name, and why I use it

Why so I use the name Crowbar with my artwork?

I've never been enthusiastic about my legal name. It's pretty and convenient for paperwork, but it doesn't feel like the whole story.

In 2005, I was nicknamed "Crowbar" by my friends, and it fit like a comfortable sweater. I've always had an alternative fashion sense and melancholy vibe, so the name wasn't shocking when you met me. Even teachers honored my nickname -- I felt understood by my community.

Life happened, and I stopped making art and using the name "Crowbar". I was no longer allowed to be myself, nor was I surrounded by an understanding community.

I returned to art in 2017, and in honor of that, I changed my social media handles to include ".crowbar". In 2018, I started signing my work as Crowbar again, and when I was greeted as Crowbar by other, local artists, I felt I had returned home.

Crowbar is definitely a weird name, but it suits me. Names don't need to make sense, and we don't need to keep just one. My name is Michelle, and my name is Crowbar.