Michelle Waters at Cactus Gallery
Michelle Waters was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, into an artistic, progressive family. Her grandparents were social justice activists and artists who were big influences on her art and life. She has been making art since she was a small child, and holds a B.A. in Studio Art from UC, Santa Cruz.
Her art expresses concerns for the loss of the natural world and human exploitation of animals, sometimes using sardonic humor. She also does companion animal portraits and her current work is focused on portraying the beauty and dignity of animals. Her art has been influenced by her environmental and animal rights activism and volunteer work as a wildlife rehabilitator and cat rescuer.
Michelle donates proceeds from her art to grassroots animal rescue groups, and environmental organizations that are doing important work.
She has exhibited widely in the U.S. Her art is in private collections throughout the U.S., and other countries. She lives in the redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern California with her husband and rescued cats, and their neighbors the deer, owls, coyotes, bobcats, squirrels, woodpeckers, hawks, jays, lizards, frogs, opossums, skunks, raccoons, foxes and mountain lions.
