Sophie Michaud

Educator • Visual Practitioner • Artist

Welcome To My Studio!

I made the deliberate choice of including a studio space because sharing my personal approach and showing my artwork is modeling my own commitment to the courage of authentic presence and self-expression.

It is also a great joy to share with you what inspires me and my work. Visit my full studio and shop at www.viasophiastudios.com 

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INTENTION

Through making art I seek to:

  • Pay attention, practicing awareness
  • Make visible what comes up for me behind the scenes
  • Connect with, observe, and explore my relationship to my surroundings
  • Own and process what is mine while releasing what is no longer helpful to me
  • Communicate what I see to reflect, share, and appreciate a bigger picture of life
  • Be intentionally present, slow down, enjoy the process, and practice gratitude

Ultimately, the artistic process is one that challenges me to look at myself and how I show up in the world, gently leading the way toward the changes I need to make to live a more aligned life. Conversely, art teaches me to pay empathetic attention to what is on the outside of me, building proximity with my surroundings in a curious, respectful, and honoring way.

A PAINTING + A PICTURE + A STORY

Most of my artworks are mixed media acrylic paintings that I then photograph in a specific context that tells a story.

The painting and the environment are interdependent, both having an impact on each other. I take a picture to bear witness to their relationship. This is a storytelling process in which the subtext of the painting unfolds based on the environment it is embedded in. It is like opening a letter from within that third space, in which a story is revealed and accessible to me in a language I understand.

The result is a form of collaborative alliance between painting and environment, both acts of creation, that speak truth to each other without imposing on one another. A non-dominant form of coexistence, seeking dialogue. 

Visual Portfolio, Posts & Image Gallery for WordPress
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UNLEASH

Fierce creative potential resting in the confines of its comfort zone. What does it take to unleash it?
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LIGHTEN UP

Currently selling hot air balloon tickets for perspective.
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BULL’S-EYE

Aiming for inspiration, imagination, and beauty through the layers of a rose.
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FEAR less, DARE more

Exploring the connection between fear, armor, authentic expression, and liberation. Dandelions have a graceful yet brave way to show the way.
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EFFERVESCENCE

Witnessing and honoring the vibrancy of our natural world, our home. It is alive, as we are, worthy of respect and care. What happens when we stop trying to dominate it?
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RENAISSANCE

Letting go of old stories, making room for more truthful ones to take root. A mystical friend came to help.
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DANCING WITH THE DEER

Exploring the relationship between Earth and Sky through the image of the deer, honoring the many ones that visited this exact spot.
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CALL OF DUTY

A take on “l’ombre du devoir”, an expression from Victor Hugo, adapted to reflect on the flaw of busyness as a prerequisite for worthiness, casting shadows and interrupting clear thinking and seeing. But where is the light?
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NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON’T

A water lily as an empty bird’s nest with amphibians playing hide and seek in the water and on land. Another day by the pond. We have to make an effort to see beyond the obvious. When I’m not paying attention, what am I missing out on?
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HERE & NOW

Painting as presence: attending my grandmother’s funeral an ocean away in spirit as I prepare to give birth to my 3rd child a day later. Illustrating the tension between grief & joy, darkness & light, physical distance & emotional proximity, death & new life. How to define that space?
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SHE WHO DREAMS

Inspired by St Exupery’s Le Petit Prince, I explored what it meant to live a life powered by imagination as an adult. The child within did some teaching. What does it take to tune in more often?
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A TEACHER’S GIFT

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” was my dissertation director’s motto. A lifelong friend and mentor, her teachings continue to inspire me from the great beyond. A teacher’s unconditional belief in her students is one of life’s greatest gifts.
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THE MUSE

Reflecting the seamless bond between water and sky, their alliance exploding in creative inspiration. The Muse, as compass, points to the story within. “What is ready to be expressed?” she asks.

CONTACT THE ARTIST

If you would like to connect with me about my art, please contact me via this form or visit the full studio at ViaSophiaStudios for more art, stories, and a chance to shop awesome artsy products.

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