Michelle Davis Petelinz

Artist, teacher, sister, mother, wife, friend, and citizen of the world, I'm passionate about sharing techniques and tips which I've used in my own work, and in teaching art to people of all ages and abilities.  I have conducted classes and workshops at the Sertoma Arts Center, Jerry's Artarama, Total Life Center, Life Experiences, Raleigh Parks & Recreation’s Quest program, and I have served as the resident artist at Wake Enterprises.  Having taught students from age 17 months to 102 years old, I can truly say that I have witnessed the power of art to engage, excite, and make the world a more colorful place.   In addition to my teaching duties, I direct the art program for a yearly 2-day art and music festival in downtown Raleigh, and consult on a variety of art projects for people with disabilities through Arts Access North Carolina.  My mixed media work is sold through galleries in North Carolina, the North Carolina Museum of Art store, and at juried art festivals.

I am irresistibly drawn to incorporate symbols, patterns, textures and colors found in African and Native American cultures, which are my heritage into my mixed media creations.  My wall décor pieces often feature original, hand cut stamps; gelatin prints; painted papers; handmade papers; natural elements; and polymer clay.

I often work in a series, visually exploring the cultural significance of decoration and symbology.  Influences include the Ndebele painted houses of South Africa; Korhogo cloth patterns from the Ivory Coast; Ghanaian gold weights; Bogolan mud cloth from Mali; and patterns used in Ethiopian body painting.  My goal is to interpret these visual elements so they will resonate with the viewer as objects at once unusual and familiar; evoking ancestral and contemporary design; and speaking across cultures to the deep well of the universal.  My website is: Kindred Spirit Studios, and my blog is:  Artventuring.  

I will be leading the 2025 Studio Session sharing techniques to customize your mark making by creating your own stamps, creating Tyvek beads, working with wet strength tissue to create gorgeous background papers, and experimenting with various surface designs using mono printing and Play-Doh (!) to create papers for use on your Canvas of Curiosities.

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