Art Resumé & Biography:
Michele Rain's award winning Figure Studies & Abstracts have been shown internationally. Her artwork can be viewed, sent via eCard & purchased online from BWGArt.com
Michele Rain grew up until the age of 11, in the beautiful Skagit Valley of Washington State. She spent the next 18 years in San Diego, CA., where began her photography studies beginning in her high school years until present (an ongoing process). About 19 years ago she moved back to her beloved North West and then on to Canada. With a great desire to know the never-ending depths of her art form, she has worked in just about every aspect from "shooting", working the darkroom side of photography (traditional B&W printing, traditional color printing), to digital Giclèes printing, as well as, becoming certified in Photoshop. She has owned and operated professional photographic labs and studios, as well as managed other large professional photographic labs in Seattle and San Diego. She began teaching photography in 1985. She began showing her artwork in galleries 1979. She has been shown internationally for which she received numerous awards for her fine art photography of Figure Studies and Digital Abstracts.
Artist Statement:
The best part of any art form is that there is no end to what can be conceived, no end to where it can lead and will forever be interpreted differently by every person who comes in contact with it. Continually striving to better my art is an ongoing process. Pushing myself is both exceedingly fulfilling and greatly frustrating. There are days I must protect myself from myself, so that I remain in the enjoyment of it, not the work of it. Art should never be work, just an extension of ourselves.
"A true artist is someone who sincerely and wholly loves their work. They honor the time spent within it. They relish the texture, the scent, the feel of it. It can bring the highest joy and the deepest anguish, because it is their greatest passion. ~ Rain"
Dates of Work:
2004 - Present - Working on new BWGArt website, Created The Griffin Box (Patent Pending), Photography, performs music, teaches photography classes, and creates websites.
December 2003 - A two Artist Show - Bohemian Woodlands Gallery, Bremerton WA. "Women, Water & Wax" - Figure Studies, Ocean Series
November 2003 - Featured Artist, Bainbridge Island, WA "Primary Colors" - Abstract Show
November 2003 - Individual Show - Bohemian Woodlands Gallery "Dusty Roads" Photos taken on the back roads of Eastern Washington.
August 2003 - Opened Bohemian Woodlands Gallery & Photographic Studio, Bremerton, WA.
1998 - 2002 Started Bohemian Woodlands Gallery Internet Co-op website
1999 - The Wild Rose Seattle, WA Individual show Untitled show, 14 pieces
1997 - Benham Gallery Seattle, WA Multi artist, juried show "Pushing Boundaries" 4 pieces
1997 - Began producing Digital Abstracts
1996 - The Rose Café Seattle, WA Individual show Untitled show, 15 pieces
1995 - The Living Room Seattle, WA Individual show "Envision Synchronicity" - a continuing study of women's emotions 13 pieces
1994 - The Wild Rose Seattle, WA Multi artist show "Women in Motion" 9 pieces
1994 - CHABALABA San Diego, CA Individual show "Women's Emotions" 16 pieces
1992 - The San Diego Art Institute San Diego, CA Multi artist show "38th Annual National Juried Art Exhibition" 2 pieces shown. Received honorable mention award for Sweet Surrender
1992 - Rita Dean Gallery San Diego, CA Multi artist show "The Fear of Human Survival" 2 pieces. Both received honorable mention awards.
1991 - Del Mar International Exhibition Del Mar, CA Multi artist, juried show "42nd International Exhibition of Photography" 1 piece Received honorable mention award
1987-1994 Escondido, CA. Opened Reflex Photographics (photography studio)
1987 Began Figure Studies Work
1983-1990 Escondido, CA Started Say Cheeze Photography (Professional photographic lab printing pro. photographer's works)
1979-1982 Worked in professional labs learning color theory
1979 - Rancho Santa Fe Gallery Rancho Santa Fe, CA Multi junior artist juried show "Animal Nature" 4 pieces (Awarded best of show)
1976-1979 Studied photography in high School
Professional Resume:
1980-1982 -Vista Color Labs (Vista, CA) Apprenticeship for color printing/processing
1983-1990 - Started Pro Lab, Say Cheeze Photography (San Diego, CA)
1984-1996 - Apprenticed under various professional photographers for studio work
1987-1994 - Started Photography Studio, Reflex Photographics (San Diego, CA.)
1991-1993 - Managed Pro. Lab, Picture People (San Diego, CA.)
1994-1994 - Managed Pro. Lab, Lightworks (San Diego, CA.)
1994-1997 - Managed Professional Lab, Pacific Color Inc. (Seattle, WA.)
1997 to present - Freelance Photographer, Photography Instructor (WA)
1998 - Began working in High Tech industry, Web Designer and Test Engineer.
Certifications:
2009 Certifications, W3 Consortium, Online School: XHTML, HTML 4.0, CSS
2004 Certifications, New Horizons Tech School, Bellevue, WA: Photoshop CS, Acrobat CS
2001 Certification, Solaris, San Diego, CA: Solaris Training: Admin I Database
2001 Refresher classes, Continuing Ed, San Diego State University, CA: Linux I, Flash I, JavaScript I
