Over the past ten Years Michelle Vara has examined flowers, ecology, and nature, form many vantage points to create a vast output of artistic styles using many different materials connecting aspects of sculpture dimension, painting, drawing, printing, etc. She fills her work with character, life, and emotion– taking a subject matter that has been used since the beginning of art and portraying her unique perspective on it.

Michelle Vara

Ballard Road Art Studio - Contemporary Art

Series: In Bloom

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Artist Michelle Vara statement-

“I felt the anxiety of the current world climate. The doom and gloom linger like a rock, slung around the necks of so many. This makes me sad to watch, so I began to think what metaphors could I put together using discarded home objects (JUNK) and design to embody the Buddhist notion of growth, harmony, and joy. I then opted to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, during the welding and painting process. The paint is a handmade stain that keeps the scars of memory and past, visible while remembering nothing is perfect. The scars become sealed badges of honor in the fished piece. The process, became the embodiment of life’s conditions- to see obstacles as opportunities, as turning points, for developing our best qualities as human beings and moving into natural beauty which all of us carry inside.”

  • Sculpture No.849_Floral N Hardy
  • Sculpture No.849_Floral N Hardy

Sculpture No. 849_ “Floral N Hardy” -78” X 36”, Rescued metal welded in a handmade stain.

  • No.850_Secret Garden_Michelle Vara
  • No.850_Secret Garden_Michelle Vara_Web
  • _Secret Garden_Detail_Michelle Vara
  • _Secret Garden_Detail_Michelle Vara

No. 850_ “Secret Garden” 78” X 46””, Reclaimed metal welded and finished in the handmade stain.

Flower arrangment made with common household objects welded into metal sculpture.
Sculpture No. 851_KaBloom

KaBloom- 24” X 20”, salvaged household metal, welded, finished in oil and pigment.

  • Sculpture No. 852_ Spring Fed

  • Black-eyed-susan_11x17 flower Print_Michelle Vara.jpg
  • Pink Flowers_ 11×14 Prints_ Michelle Vara
  • Red Poppy_ 11×17 Print_Michelle Vara

Hybrid Watercolor Paintings–

This technique is a crossing in short-run handmade oil-based printing and a watercolor painting.

Michelle Vara creates drawings from nature to make the short run printing plates and complete the compilation by fluid gestures in a watercolor painting on thick 11”x17” acid–free art paper.

Flowers are painted as a means to an emotional outlet in a dace between beauty and severity.

Each print is an individual with variations in line and color which adds to the beauty of owning a unique handmade print painting no two are the same.

  • Recycled metal sculpture of Dandelion
    Re-claimed metal finished in translucent hand made color and clear. size-12’x6′.
  • Recycled metal sculpture of Dandelion
    Re-claimed metal finished in translucent hand made color and clear. size-12’x6′.
“GONE TO SEED” -Welded reclaimed metal, finished in translucent handmade color and clear. size-12’x6′.

“GONE TO SEED” -Welded reclaimed metal, finished in translucent handmade color and clear. size-12’x6′.

  • Tulips & Bees sculpture made from reclaimed metal
    Tulip and Bees
  • michelle vara, Metal sculpture, Large Tulips and bee's made from recycled welded material, finished in handmade paint.
  • Large Tulips and bee's made from recycled welded material, finished in handmade paint.
  • Large Tulips and bee's made from recycled welded material.
  • metal sculpture Flowers, Tulips,
    Alice in Wonderland tulips & bees

TULIPS & BEES – upcycled metal welded and finished in a handmade stain. 5′ x 7.5’tall.

  • Out_10x8_Oil Paint_Michelle Vara.jpg
  • Sign_10x8_Oil Paint_Michelle Vara.jpg
Oil on Canvas
  • Sunflower gate
SUNFLOWER GATE- iron welded and finished in enamel paint. 7.5′ wide x 14’tall.
  • Yellow_ art photographs_ Michelle Vara
  • Yellow_ art photographs_ Michelle Vara
  • Yellow_ art photographs_ Michelle Vara
  • Yellow_ art photographs_ Michelle Vara
  • Yellow_ art photographs_ Michelle Vara
  • Yellow_ art photographs_ Michelle Vara
  • Yellow_ art photographs_ Michelle Vara

Study- Altered Photographs using color to explode expression as felt through the experience of flowers and nature.

  • 66. Anax Imper Dragonfly
    detail of metal flowers
  • Dragonfly and Flowers

“Dragonflies Love Flowers”. The artist spent long periods of time submerged in the dragonfly flower inquiry.

  • Yellow Fields_ oil on paper_ Michelle Vara
  • Walking the Sunflower Field_oil on paper_ Michelle Vara
  • The feel
  • Sunflower_ Oil on Paper_ Michelle Vara
  • Sunflower Study _Michelle Vara
  • Sunflower studies
  • Sunflower studies
  • Sunflower studies
  • Sunflower studies
  • Disclose Conversations_ Photograph_ Michelle Vara

Oil Pastel on art paper.

Oil on postcard
  • Albany Tulip Fest
    Metal Flowers get Paint
  • Vara With her painted Sculpture
    Vara in the feild of metal flowers
  • Vara and her flowers
    Metal sculptor Vara and her Flowers

Large Flowers made from reclaimed metal in an awareness program for the benefits of recycling.

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Flower arrangment made with common household objects welded into metal sculpture.
Recycled metal sculpture of Dandelion
Recycled metal sculpture of Dandelion
Tulips & Bees sculpture made from reclaimed metal
michelle vara, Metal sculpture, Large Tulips and bee's made from recycled welded material, finished in handmade paint.
Large Tulips and bee's made from recycled welded material, finished in handmade paint.
Large Tulips and bee's made from recycled welded material.
metal sculpture Flowers, Tulips,
66. Anax Imper Dragonfly
Albany Tulip Fest
Vara With her painted Sculpture
Vara and her flowers
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