Michelle Atkinson
My work with reclaimed materials didn’t begin with essential oil bottles. It grew out of a long series of experiments — some successful, some impractical, all of them necessary. Glass has been a companion through almost every stage of my practice, and like most relationships, it’s been complicated, rewarding, and occasionally a little hazardous. This…
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I’m continuously surprised when talking with other artists during exhibition takedowns. The conversation almost always circles back to sales — or lack of them.More often than not, someone says, “The venue just wasn’t right. No one bought anything.” Here’s the hard truth: most of the time, it’s not the venue that failed you — it’s…
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What if your art had a soundtrack? I asked ChatGPT to help match music to my work — and what came back wasn’t just a playlist.It was a completely new way of looking at what I create. 🎤 How This Started Every time I used to see Megan Paterson (Founder of Aurelia) ask an artist,…
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…and when not to give a f#ck what others think. I’ve got a bit of a reputation for “not caring what people think.” That’s not entirely true. I just understand that not all opinions carry weight. Everyone’s allowed an opinion — but that doesn’t mean it’s relevant to me or my work. This came up…
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Where can I see your work? How do you translate the data? Do you do commissions? These are some of the most common questions I get—and if you’ve been wondering the same, I’d love to connect. Let’s break it down. Where can I see your work? If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen…
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Last night I had a great time catching up with Reva Bond and Christina Tulloch. We talked about life, art, sustainability, and resiliency—and I got to learn more about their new venture, Groundwater Collective. In the middle of our conversation, Christina made a great observation that others may be wondering too: Why do you use…
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This summer, I’m excited to dive into a focused period of experimentation and research as an artist-in-residence at AUArts (Alberta University of the Arts). If you’ve followed my work, you know I’ve been using historical weather data—especially temperature patterns from extreme weather events—as the foundation for my sculptural installations. These data points become abstracted, layered…
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New installation at Shag Salon, 17th Ave, Calgary The Question on Everyone’s Mind This weekend, I installed a substantial collection of my work at Shag, a well-loved salon on 17th Avenue in Calgary. I know what some people might be thinking:Why is a mid-career artist showing in a hair salon? Isn’t that something newer artists…
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I never planned on becoming a full-time artist—it was something I grew into, driven by curiosity and a relentless desire to explore materials. My background is in glass art, specifically fusing and casting. It all started with a weekend glass class making jewelry cabochons. By Monday, I was back at the studio, purchasing a small…
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