Michele Dettmann

 The youngest of nine children, Michele Richardson Dettmann spent the early years of her childhood on a small farm in east central Iowa, immersed in nature and the chaos of a large family, Michele inherited her love of art from her mother, who was also an artist. 

Growing up, she was able to watch in admiration as a young Rose Franzen drew astonishing portraits, which was slightly intimidating from her perspective as another young, aspiring artist. However, Michele finally realized that only drawing allowed her to lose herself in time, which she loved, and with the dawning understanding that there is room in art for everyone, as a young adult she started pursuing her art career seriously. Studying first with the pastel artist Don Webber in Tucson Arizona then in Northern California, she continued her studies with the painters Marc Pandone, Kaveh Shakikhan, Nikki Basche-Davis, and Pam Glover. 

In Pasadena, she was able to study with Robert Sherrill, whose plein air practice resonated with Michele's early memories of life on the farm, allowing her to find her true passion in art in the plein air landscapes that speak to her with their beauty, form, light and color. Her subject matter ranges from the stark, richly lit vistas of the desert southwest, to the vibrant rolling hills of California, and the ever majestic mountains of Colorado, portrayed as only oil paints can render them.

Michele is endlessly grateful for all of the help and advice she has received along the way on her artistic journey, which has allowed her to discover her true artist's eye and voice, as she continues to interpret the world around her. Her sincere hope is that her paintings will captivate you, and that her story will inspire other artists, who may have been reluctant to pick up their brushes, to start painting, simply for the joy it will bring.