Welcome to our "Featured Artist" series, where we shine a spotlight on the incredibly talented artists within our Revolution Fibers community. This week, we're thrilled to introduce you to Michele Soares, a multi-disciplinary fiber artist who brings a unique blend of creativity, innovation, and inspiration to every project she undertakes.
Art and Life: A Beautiful Blend
Michele Soares, known as Michelebuttons in the artistic community, has a knack for balancing her artistic pursuits and professional life. With a background in designing, painting, weaving, and spinning yarns, she splits her time between her day job as a Woven Jacquard Textile Designer and her passion for creating art during the weekends, often under the watchful eye of her cat, Ollie.
A Rich Legacy of Textiles
Michele's passion for fiber arts runs deep, tracing back to her mother's roots as a machine loom weaver in a textile mill. Michele's mother emigrated from the Island of São Miguel in the Azores to the United States and worked for over 30 years in a textile mill, setting up machine looms and drawing in thousands of warp ends. This was backbreaking work, but she became an expert in her field. Michele admired her mother's hard work to provide a better life for her and, unknowingly, she followed the same path but in a more artistic way. This familial bond and shared love for textiles was further honed and nurtured at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where Michele graduated with a degree in Textile Design/Fiber Arts.
"There’s no right or wrong way to create. Let go, be free, and express what needs to come through you."
Exploring A Tapestry of Mediums
From weaving to painting, designing, and spinning yarn, Michele is a true artist. Her approach to creation is meditative and liberating, often "letting the yarns decide" the direction of her projects, allowing her to engage deeply with the process and find joy in each step.
The Coral Reef Tapestry: A Labor of Love
One of Michele's most recent and memorable projects is the "Coral Reef" tapestry. This experimental piece, born out of Michele's love for recycling materials and hand-dyeing and hand-spinning yarns, pushed her creative boundaries.
She used our very own Revolution Fibers' Enchanted Lands Blend Variety Fiber Pack, adding a shimmery turquoise touch to the tapestry.
Landscape Tapestries: Capturing the Essence of Nature
Michele's landscape tapestries demonstrate her unique ability to bring images to life through fiber. Utilizing recycled fibers, she transforms photographs into intricate, tactile works of art.
These landscape tapestries are enriched with Revolution Fibers' Enchanted Lands Blend Variety Fiber Pack which add depth and nuance to her work. Michele looks forward to creating more of these captivating landscapes, continuing her journey in sustainable crafting and encapsulating the beauty of the natural world in woven form - and we can't wait to see her what she makes next!
Connect with Michele
If you're inspired by Michele's story, connect with her and view more of her work. Michele's woven tapestries and yarns are available for sale on her Etsy shop. You can also follow her creative journey on Instagram and Facebook.
Words of Wisdom
For those new to the world of fiber arts, Michele has some encouraging words:
"Jump right in. Don’t listen to that voice in your head saying you can’t do it. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or to experiment. There’s no right or wrong way to create. Let go, be free, and express what needs to come through you."
Join us in celebrating the talent and creativity of our community members like Michele. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories in our "Featured Artist" series, and remember to let your creativity flow!