The artist behind the color
There is no fear on my canvas, only magic.
I’m Michelle Johnson Fairchild, artist, teacher, motivational speaker, and lifelong believer in the magic that happens when creativity is given room to run wild.
For 24 years, I taught high school art, encouraging young artists to discover their creativity while quietly putting much of my own painting aside.
I had no idea then just how important art would become in my own life.
Finding my voice
I found hope on canvas.
There was a time when both my literal voice and my artistic one were nearly silenced. Finding my way back wasn’t simply about painting again. It was about finding hope, reclaiming what was mine, and discovering that creativity could become part of healing and beginning again.
That journey eventually grew into Be a Voice, giving me the opportunity to become a motivational speaker and advocate, encouraging others to find courage in their own lives.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I began painting again.
What returned to the canvas was different, bolder, brighter, freer, and unmistakably mine.
Big. Bold. Alive.
Art that refuses to whisper.
I love BIG canvases, BOLD color, expressive brushwork, and art that refuses to whisper.
Whether I’m painting a beloved face, a soulful animal, or something completely unexpected, I’m searching for the spark that makes the subject them. I don’t just want to capture a likeness. I want to capture spirit, personality, joy and soul, something you can feel.
My love of portraiture has also taken me into the colorful world of conventions, where I’ve had the chance to meet some of the people who inspired my portraits and collect their autographs on my original artwork. There’s something pretty magical about watching someone come face-to-face with my version of them.
At the heart of it
Connection.
I want you to look at one of my paintings and feel something. Maybe it makes you smile. Maybe it brings back a memory. Maybe you recognize someone you love. Or maybe it simply adds a little more joy, color, soul, and magic to your corner of the world.
There was a time when I nearly lost both my artistic and literal voice. Today, neither one is quiet.
Maybe that’s why I paint the way I do.
Be bold. Be colorful. Be courageous. And always leave a little room for magic.