Michelle Breton

Michelle Breton is a captivating force in the world of Australian abstract art, a painter whose work possesses an uncanny ability to stir deep emotions within its viewers. But how does she achieve this profound connection?

Breton is undoubtedly a virtuoso of the organic abstract landscape. Her canvases pulse with a captivating blend of movement, chaos, and control. With a deft touch, she harmonizes color, composition, and texture, conjuring up spaces teeming with action and excitement.

What emerges from her artistic alchemy defies verbal expression, leaving one feeling as though they’ve embarked on an archaeological journey in reverse. Breton describes her creative process as akin to unearthing buried treasures. It begins with her making initial marks on the canvas, after which she meticulously builds layers, only to judiciously scratch them back. It’s a delicate dance of pushing and pulling, guided by her intuition, a process that can extend over days, weeks, or even months.

“I’m guided by feelings and ideas,” Breton reflects. “The painting tells me what it wants. Something will take me, and I’ll go with it. Over the years, I’ve learned when to stop. It’s when I know it has all the elements it needs to make it harmonious.”

Much like her creative process, Breton’s paint palette evolves organically. Colors speak to her, revealing themselves in the moment. Her inspiration draws from a rich tapestry of influences, including the expressive compositions of Cy Twombly, the lush and vibrant hues of Pierre Bonnard, and the visionary works of Australian abstract painter Elizabeth Cummings. Even giants of the art world like Matisse and Louise Bourgeois cast their long shadows on her artistic path.

Breton’s journey into the world of art was a profoundly intuitive one. She transitioned to painting in her thirties following a successful career as an actor in film and television. An inner yearning led her to explore this newfound passion, a yearning that was finally awakened during a transformative workshop with Kerry Johns in the picturesque Blue Mountains.

“I didn’t know how to hold a brush, but I felt that it was something I needed to do,” Breton fondly recalls. “After that first class, I came home and sat down and cried for three hours. It opened up something in me.”

As a mature student, she returned to study Fine Arts, and today, painting has become an indispensable part of her life, a source of boundless joy and fulfillment.

Our enchanting connection with Michelle Breton’s artistry began when one of her works caught my eye in a downtown CBD window. Yet, it was several years later when our paths finally crossed, a meeting that she recounts with fond nostalgia.

“When I was at art school, one Saturday morning on Collins Street, I saw a painting in a window and went closer to have a look. I read the artist was Thierry B. I looked him up and kept him at the back of my mind.

Three years later, when I had finished my first batch of paintings, I put images of them on a CD – as we did back then – and dropped them off at Thierry’s place. I didn’t expect to hear anything, but before I got home, he called me and said, ‘Can you bring the paintings now!'”

And thus began a beautiful relationship that endures to this day. To behold Breton’s works in person is an experience not to be missed, an invitation to engage with the profound, emotive landscape she so masterfully crafts. As a seasoned and respected art critic, I can attest that Michelle Breton’s artistry transcends mere paint on canvas; it is an evocative journey into the depths of human emotion and expression, a testament to the enduring power of abstract art.