Caren-Marie Sargent Michel was born January 19, 1955 in Portland, Maine and is a lifelong Maine resident. She paints landscape and still life in acrylic and pastel. She often portrays a location through series capturing different seasons or times of day with changing light and color. Many of Michel's paintings incorporate collage.

Michel studied painting with Esther Barney in Portland, Maine for six years and received her B.F.A. in painting from Portland School of Art in 1978 (now Maine College of Art) where she studied with Bill Collins, Ed Douglas and Johnnie Ross. Michel has returned to painting and exhibiting in 2000 after a sixteen-year banking career. She has been represented by Jameson Gallery in Portland, Maine. Her work has been selected for juried shows in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado and Washington. Michel's work has been juried for publication in the University of Southern Maine's 2002 and 2004 Words and Images.

After earning my BFA from Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art) in 1978, I raised two daughters and embarked on a sixteen-year banking career. In 2000, I left my banking career to paint again.

My main interest is color in landscape. Living in Maine, one cannot help but be amazed with nature and the effects of light, time, season, place, and colors. My paintings come from frequent walks and travels, bringing my vision and experience of the place to the viewer. I work in many layers of acrylic washes to achieve glowing color in my paintings.

I have set out to document how our urban landscapes continually change. I see the world as a painting, whether it is the old mill downtown, the fire station, the golf course, or the beach. Many of my current paintings are of Westbrook, Maine. My past and current involvement in this community intensifies my desire to represent the city and its individual buildings, for example, the Dana Warp Mill. This old mill is central to the history of Westbrook. As hundreds of cars pass it each day, I wonder if its occupants see the beauty of its colors. Sometimes I blend the "real" with the unknown by incorporating collage into my paintings, a "space stamp," which causes the viewer to stop and add their own interpretation to the piece.

When I paint with acrylics on canvas, I continue the painting around the edges of the canvas. One day while my canvases were lined up while I was preparing for a show, I noticed that the edges themselves created a new landscape image. I then used this idea to create new landscapes, painting the edge of each painting on paper side-by-side as I painted the canvas edge. This is how the "Painting Edges" series began. Each "Painting Edges" piece represents four to eighteen individual landscape paintings. Not only does each piece develop a new imagined landscape, but also the pieces document my work as I go along.

E D U C A T I O N

Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art) BFA 1978 Painting

S O L O E X H I B I T I O N S

2008 Coasts and Edges, November 24-January 15, 2009, Falmouth Memorial Library, Falmouth, Maine

2008 Southern Maine Panorama, August 4-16, Little Sebago Gallery, Windham, Maine

2008 A Maine Panorama, July 24-August 13, The Backstage Gallery, Deertrees Theatre, Harrison, Maine

2007 Greater Portland Panorama, August 6-18, Jameson Gallery, Portland, Maine

2006 My Maine Summer, October 2-31, Camden National Bank, Camden, Maine

2006 Buildings, Bridges, Etc., July 1-September 30, Norway Savings Bank, Scarborough, Maine

2006 15 Bridges May 11-June 11, Vestibule Gallery, Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset, Maine

2005 My Home Town: Portland, December 7-January 4, Portland Parks & Recreation, Arbor Street, Portland, Maine

2005 Views of Westbrook: Caren-Marie Michel, August 8-27, Little Sebago Gallery and Frame, Windham, Maine

2005 Solo Show, May 21-July 8, Miles Memorial Hospital, Damariscotta, Maine

2005 Solo Show, April 6-June 30, Norway Savings Bank, Scarborough, Maine

2004 Solo Show, Norway Savings Bank, June 1-September 30, Scarborough, Maine

S E L E C T E D G R O U P E X H I B I T I O N S

2009 Renaissance in Pastels, October 2-25, Connecticut Pastel Society's 16th Annual National Exhibition, Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Connecticut

2009 It's Pastel, September 19-October 19, Pastel Society of New Hampshire National Juried Show, Discover Portsmouth Center Gallery, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

2009 Pastel Painters of Maine 10th International Juried Exhibition, June 5-28, Saco Museum, Saco, Maine

2008 Pastel Painters of Maine 9th International Juried Exhibition, July 10-August 10, Chocolate Church, Bath, Maine

2008 Small Wonders II, November 17-December 31, Little Sebago Gallery, Windham, Maine

2008 It's Pastel! September 19-October 18, Pastel Society of New Hampshire, New England Juried Show, The Library Arts Center, Newport, New Hampshire, third place award

2008 National Juried Pastel Extravaganza, June 13-July 10, Loveland, Colorado, second place award

2008 Lake Effect 5, June 14-July 8, Little Sebago Gallery, Windham, Maine

2008 Generations VI, invitational exhibit, February 6-March 1, A.I.R. Gallery, New York, New York

2008 Katahdin: The Lake and Her Artists, February 1-March 15, Jameson Gallery, Portland, Maine

2008 Taking Different Trails: The Artists Journey to Katahdin Lake, January 18-May 24, Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, Maine

2007 Eight on the Landscape, July 2-28, Jameson Gallery, Portland, Maine

2007 It's Pastel! June 1-July 17, Pastel Society of New Hampshire, New England Juried Show, Red Roof Gallery, Enfield, New Hampshire

2007 8th International Juried Exhibition For Pastels Only, June 4-30, Pastel Painters of Maine, Heartwood College of Art, Kennebunk, Maine

2007 Invitational Salon Exhibition of Small Works, May 25-July 14, New Arts Program, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

2006 The Art of Giving, December 4-30, Jameson Gallery, Portland, Maine

2006 11th Annual Exhibition for Pastels only on Cape Cod, August 2-30, Chatham, Massachusetts

2006 48th Annual Summer Juried Exhibition, June 17-July 16, Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset, Maine

2006 Our Maine Coast, June 26-July 29, Jameson Gallery, Portland, Maine

2006 7th International Juried Exhibition "For Pastels Only," May 25-June 25, Pastel Painters of Maine, Heartwood College of Art, Kennebunk, Maine

2006 Environments: A Sense of Place, Rocky Neck Art Colony, Gloucester, Massachusetts

2006 Invitational Salon Exhibition of Small Works, New Arts Program, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

2006 Spring For Kids Auction, April 7, Boys & Girls Club, Portland, Maine

2006 17th All Maine Invitational, March 24-May 6, Atrium Gallery, USM Lewiston-Auburn

2006 The Voice of Color, February 26-April 15, Turner Center for the Arts, Turner, Maine

2005 My America, November 11-February 3, Gallery 125, Trenton, New Jersey

2005 New England MECA Juried Alumni Exhibition, October 7-November 18, Gateway Gallery, Grapheteria, Portland, Maine

2005 The Figure Revealed II, September 11-October 22, Atrium Gallery, USM Lewiston-Auburn

2005 Westbrook Riverwalk Artist's Festival, September 17, Westbrook, Maine

2005 28th Annual Juried Exhibition for Non-members, June 20-July 1, The Salmagundi Club, New York, NY

2005 National Juried Show, June 1-30, Pastel Painters of Maine, River Tree Arts Center, Kennebunk, Maine

2005 8th Annual Celebration of the Arts National Juried Exhibit, April 23-May 31, Montpelier Center for Arts & Education, Montpelier, Virginia

2005 ARTSOURCE 2005, May 6-7, Seacoast YMCA, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

2005 15th Invitational Salon Exhibition of Small Works May 27-July 23, New Arts Program, Kutztown, Pennsylvania

2005 16th Annual Maine Open Juried Show, April 6-23, First Place Award Acrylics, Waterville Art Association, Winslow Public Library, Winslow, Maine

2005 Seasons: Pastel Painters of Maine Members Show, March 1-31, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine

2004 Pastel Painters of Maine Members Show, December 8-12, Kennebunk, Maine

2004 Union of Maine Visual Artists, December 4, Portland, Maine

2004 Two-Person Show, October 16-November 6, Little Sebago Gallery, Windham, Maine

2004 Riverwalk Art & Music Festival, September 11, Westbrook, Maine

2004 The Members Show, August 12-September 12, Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset, Maine

2004 Regional Artists: An Open Juried Show, June 30-August 1, Barn Gallery, Ogunquit, Maine

2004 46th Annual Summer Juried Exhibition, June 6-July 4, Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset, Maine

2004 Group Show, May 10-June 5, Little Sebago Gallery, Windham, Maine

2004 Celebration of the Arts National Juried Show, April 24-June 4, Montpelier Center for the Arts & Education, Montpelier, Virginia

2004 15th Annual Maine Open Juried Show, April 6-24, Second Place and Special Merit awards Acrylics, Waterville Art Association, Winslow Public Library, Winslow, Maine

2004 Annual Juried Fine Arts Show, April 8-11, Associated Arts of Ocean Shores, Ocean Shores, Washington

2004 National Juried Show, April 14-May 14, Northern Colorado Artist Association, Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, Colorado

2004 Annual Union of Maine Visual Artists Juried Show, February 2-28, College of the Atlantic, Blum Gallery, Bar Harbor, Maine

2004 National Juried Art Show, February 23-March 31, Englewood Arts, Museum of Outdoor Arts, Englewood, Colorado

2004 7th National Juried Show, January 29-February 29, Gallery-West, Alexandria, Virginia

2004 Annual Juried Show, January 10-25, Skillins Greenhouse, Falmouth, Maine

2003 Member Show, December 10-14, Pastel Painters of Maine, River Tree Arts Center, Kennebunk, Maine

2003 Member Holiday Show, November 28-December 14, Chocolate Church, Bath, Maine

2003 Summer Juried Exhibit, August 1-September 19, Chocolate Church, Bath, Maine

2003 Juried Summer Artist Series, August 20-September 14, Market Street Gallery, 27 paintings in five person show, Lockport, New York

2003 Into The Garden: Juried Garden Show, May 2- June 13, Chocolate Church, Bath

2003 National Juried Show, May 16-June 27, Pastel Painters of Maine, River Tree Arts Center, Kennebunk, Maine

2002 Member Holiday Show, December, Chocolate Church, Bath, Maine

2002 Riverwalk Fine Arts Festival, September 28, THIRD PLACE, Westbrook, Maine

R E P R E S E N T A T I O N

Carver Hill Gallery, Rockport, Maine

North Light Gallery, Millinocket, Maine

P R I V A T E C O L L E C T I O N S

Australia
Florida
California
Massachusetts
Michigan
Ohio
Illinois
Vermont
Maryland
Maine

P U B L I C A T I O N S

2008 "The Art of Katahdin and Conservation," by Edgar Allen Beem, Yankee Magazine, March 19
2008 "The Art of Interior Maine," by Carl Little, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, Winter 2009 Issue 102
2006 "Leading Ladies," American Art Collector, February
2005 Colvin, Andrew, The Windham Independent, profile: "Caren-Marie Michel Take another look," August 19
2005 Keene, Tom, Gorham-Westbrook Gazette, profile: "Interview of the week Caren-Marie Michel," August 5
2004 Keyes, Bob, Maine Sunday Telegram, profile: "Westbrook artist puts city pride on canvas," September 26
2004 "Central Station," University of Southern Maine Art and Literary Annual WORDS AND IMAGES
2002 "Rivermeadow 1," University of Southern Maine Art and Literary Annual WORDS AND IMAGES

A S S O C I A T I O N S

Pastel Painters of Maine, 2009-2007, Past President, 2006 President
Union of Maine Visual Artists, 2009-2006, Treasurer
Pastel Society of New Hampshire, member

L I N K S

www.pastelinternational.com
www.michelgardenart.com
www.robertamichel.com
www.cadillacmoonensemble.com
www.images.com Stock Illustration Source (high-end stock illustration agency in New York; Michel has over 20 images available)
www.amystaceycurtis.com

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