Name: Michelle Soldatos
Shop Name: Michelle's Art & Photography
Your daytime Job: Graphic Designer
A bit about yourself: I'm 37, single girl :) I enjoy a Saturday morning in the lovely city of Melbourne window shopping and taking photos. I eagerly anticipate a big exhibition at NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) I absolutely loved the Dali, Dutch Masters and Pissaro exhibitions. I'm a tea lover ... love my cups of tea, I'm slowly building a T2 collection. I love roses I have a rose garden full of different varieties with my favourite being the Peace rose.
How did you first get into art and/or craft: I started art in High School, I always seemed to ace my art classes. It sort of became my identity, to mention Michelle it was "the girl who does those drawings". It just came naturally for me but as it didn't bring in an income I ended up becoming a graphic designer and didn't draw again until 20yrs later. I got into photography at University it was part of my graphic design course. I just had an eye for it, it's something I continued to do throughout my graphic design career but it was more for myself.
What is your creative process, and what inspires you: My creative process usually starts by being inspired by something. It could be a number of things like seeing something in a magazine or an exhibition or even something in a store. My passion for photographing flowers started with a card I picked up at a florist in Brunswick St back in 1995. It was a closeup photograph of a bright sunflower and just the size and placement of the flower inspired me to create something that would give the same effect.
Any tips you would have for people starting their own shop or for someone looking at getting into photography or drawing: To be brave, it was difficult for me to start my shop. It all seemed overwhelming and I thought I wasn't good enough and wouldn't understand it all but once I got started I really enjoyed it. For anyone starting drawing or photography I'd say take it step by step and enjoy it the more you keep at it, learning and practicing the more you discover how far you can go. It's very exciting to realise you can accomplish something you believed was way out of your reach.
Michelle's Madeit Shop
Michelle's Blog
Michelle on Twitter
