Biography

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Michelle Basic Hendry SCA is an award winning artist and landscape painter. She has been elected by her peers to become a member of the Society of Canadian Artists and the Landscape Artists International. She currently resides in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada.

Michelle's love of the landscape drew her to Central Ontario. For Michelle, it is the mysteries in the light and shadow of the countryside that nourish her spirit and drive her creative process. Michelle works primarily in acrylic due to its flexibility as a medium.

In early 2008, Michelle went for a drive down the sideroads in Muskoka to clear her head and ended up stopping in front of an old abandoned house. The clear light and shadow around this building put her on two quests - one to paint it - the other to find out about the lives of those who lived there. The painting "Twilight" resulted in an entire series, the current core of Michelle's work and the foundation for her 2008 solo exhibition, "Echoes".

The quest for the story has driven Michelle ever since. Many of her subjects are researched and/or are drawn directly from the families who once occupied the places in her paintings.

In 2005, Michelle had one of her paintings accepted into an exhibition at the MacLaren Art Center, a regional public gallery in Barrie, Ontario and won "Best in Show" at MAC. Michelle exhibited in the 19th Annual McMichael Art Show and Sale at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in 2009.

Michelle holds an Honours Degree in History from the University of Toronto and a Diploma with Distinction from Georgian College in Graphic Design and she has instructed at Georgian College. Michelle was an entrepreneur in the field of graphic design for over a decade before turning to fine art full time. Michelle has work in private collections in Canada, the U.S. and the UK.

Michelle was elected to the Society of Canadian Artists in the Autumn of 2008. She was recently featured in the Muskoka Magazine in October 2009, and has had substantial media coverage in the last year.

Artist's Statement | Awards & Publications

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS::

  • elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists
  • elected member of Landscape Artists International
  • member of Muskoka Arts and Crafts
  • founding member of the Arts Council of Muskoka