Denise Violette Michaud | Dark Arts

“Why is your art dark and macabre?”

This is the question people ask most when viewing my work. When they meet me in person, they are surprised to find me happy and stable.

My art is my outlet, a way to de-stress from everyday life. The precious moments I spend in my studio are the moments when I can be myself. It is when I let my true emotions surface. It has permitted expression without language. I have had difficult periods in my life, but my art has helped me get through them. I believe in the concept of art as a therapy.

My interest in creativity began at a young age. I was greatly influenced by my mother, who was a very talented and avid seamstress, embroiderer and crocheter. She upholstered for a living after my father was paralyzed. I remember having wonderful times simply absorbing fabric samples while studying the different motifs and textures. Though I gained a love of textiles from my mother, when I started working in clay, I knew I had found my true medium.

My work has evolved with the passing of the years and the messages I convey are more intense. My art dolls are not playthings you would give to children, but a form of conversation. They are frequently about difficult subjects that need to be addressed such as life, sickness, and death.

I can articulate my feelings of sorrow and grief without having to find the words. Sometimes it may take several pieces to help in the healing process, like when my mother was diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimer’s. I can work on a piece for several weeks on end without a specific goal in mind, and when I’m finished, I can see why I had to make it. I feel better. It had to be created, often just for my well-being.

It is not only the making that is therapeutic, but also the company of fellow artists. It can be lonely and isolating working alone in your studio. Being a juried member of CraftNB has opened so many doors and has given me the confidence to continue making art. It has given me the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people. I am proud to be called an artist among such talented peers.

It is not that I am a macabre person, but rather that there are dark parts of life that need to be explored. My art dolls wear my emotions so that I can be more stable. Being a thinking, feeling, mortal person is not all sunshine, but finding a way to communicate my darkest moments allows me to feel them more fully, and finally, to heal.

—Denise Violette Michaud
Artist, Instructor & Founding Member of Gallery Acanthus