Michelle Christensen draws.

France mural.

2011-12-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Finished the mural for Cafe Terrace last week- opening was Friday. It was tight deadline, but I finished at 5 am Wednesday. Whew! Painted over 70 little characters- it's of a scene in Belleville where I stayed last time I visited Paris.

Go visit the cafe and have some crepes. They are excellent.

et cetera.

2011-09-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

Ink, pastel, on paper. For this.

He Is Alone.

2011-09-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Ink on watercolor paper

- Belleville- Paris, France.

Mince!

2011-09-26T08:48:00.003-07:00

This is a nice way of saying, "Merde!" in French.

Mixed media.

2011-09-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

These were fun to do. Paper, magazine clippings, ink and charcoal.

Meeka

2011-09-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

New character, Meeka. She lives in the woods, speaks to the trees, and lives off blackened tree tar and bark.

Feathered Antlers.

2011-08-31T01:28:00.001-07:00

One of my friends said this woman's feather headdress looks like pony-tails.. but really, they are supposed to be a headdress.. not pig-tails... but they also could be. So. You pick. Though pig-tails looks kind of ridiculous to me... like.. OH HEY I'm so sultry! Look at my flying pig-tails!

It just doesn't match.. ah well.. C'est la vie.. or.. c'est l'art vie. Sometimes it just turns out.. the way it turns out.

Chinese woman.

2011-08-31T01:26:00.000-07:00

Quick portrait. I like her expression, and her cheeks. Ink, watercolor, some digital color on sweater.

Freelancin'

2011-08-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

Some illustrations for two different herbal supplement bottles. I haven't done a ton of botanical drawings, so it was kind of fun to go this direction.

Chinese if you please.

2011-08-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Chinese woman in robe. Charcoal pencil, colored pencil, ink, on toned butcher paper. I've been loving this lately.

Vampire Circus.

2011-08-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

This woman was inspired by a subconscious circus obsession that I have. Slash... a vampire. Slash... Tekkonkinkreet, which I watched recently. Excellent movie if you have the chance.

Nine Foot Long Dominoe Dog.

2011-08-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

The other night I had a dream about a nine foot long dog. He had a dominoes pattern on his back. And there were some puppies for sale too. I was going to get one, but the thought of having a nine-foot long dog around the house seemed a bit too much for my transient lifestyle. So I thought the better of it, and didn't get one.

Sigh.

Zombie Amphibian.

2011-08-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

A friend and I recently have begun drawing more together, which I, of course love. We decided in this particular drawing session to draw zombies. This was my result. Complete with red speedo.

Salty Streets Market- August

2011-07-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

New Salty Streets Flea Market poster. It'll be a good one, you should probably go too.

Peek.

2011-07-11T23:38:00.000-07:00

New happenings.... stay tuned....

Gurl.com

2011-06-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Check out my newest comic here .

Salty Street Market- July

2011-06-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

Don't miss The Salty Streets Flea Market this month!! (And not just because I did the poster...)

Salty Street Market Posters.

2011-05-03T13:25:00.001-07:00

My co-worker Karamea Puriri is putting on the annual summer Salty Streets Flea Market. Don't miss it.

In the spirit of Easter...

2011-04-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

SOMETIMES IT IS!

Happy Easter x

New Moleskine.

2011-04-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

I always do new covers for my moleskines.. so this is one I liked. Kind of a self-portrait, though it doesn't look a ton like me.

The blind to see.

2011-04-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

I have a blind friend. Her name is Melissa. She is quite a character. We are going to eat this week, and I suggested a park. She said, "Well I don't want to see any cigarette butts or beer cans around, those are just gross, and they smell bad too,"
She's been blind since birth, but doesn't let it define who she is. She doesn't want to be babied, or talked to like she has a disability. Sometimes she gets very angry and put out if you help her at all. She has a will inside of her, that I feel will allow her to do things most blind people will never be able to.

She sings. And loves music. And uses the words, "I see," frequently. Because in essence, she really does see more than most.

Salutations.

2011-03-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

I was listening to The National's song "England" and for whatever reason, this kind of just happened. I think subconsciously the song's lyrics kind of created the image. It just felt right. The song is about lost love, and this girl portrays both the courage and acceptance of that lost love and her faith in the future. I picture both the color and b&w version.

I think we all feel in the same boat at times.

Life goes on and we keep growing and learning.

Safety Comic.

2011-03-23T00:20:00.001-07:00

I went to Liberty Park Sunday.. there was a creepo man there in a yellow hat that was bending a branch and coming towards me who asked me if I ," Had a minute?" I said NO! and biked as fast as I could away from him...

Why did he want me to have a minute?

Whatever it was... it gave me uneasy feelings.

Comic is to illustrate... also may exaggerate. But deal with it.

To be or not to be.

2011-03-18T03:41:00.000-07:00

One of my drawings for my latest gURL.com comic about The Good The Bad & The Ugly, hipster trends. See it here.

Francey Pants.

2011-03-08T23:08:00.000-08:00

Above is "Un Chat sur le tapis" which was inspired by my cat, who is the funniest, but most beautiful little creature. Ink and pastel.

Moving.

2011-02-02T00:12:00.000-08:00

I'm moving once again up to Salt Lake. Home sweet home.. for at least another year.

#3- Insecurity Jury

2011-01-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

The quirky "pet-whisperer" bunch.

#2- Insecurity Jury

2011-01-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

"Hidden Self-image."

I'm debating on the name of these series. Mostly because I feel that these images have become more of an empowering process than anything else. I've been realizing more and more how much support and love people have within themselves for each other, and no one can truly become great without good supportive people in their lives. And I want to be able to help others feel that within these drawings.

Don't think, just do.

2011-01-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Graduating from a solely traditional art program.. much of the emphasis was on craft and skill level. I found that extremely helpful and challenging, but in my attempts to master and improve my skill level.. I forgot at times that drawing is fun. Art is hard work. It is. I have never worked so hard in my life than I did in school. But now that it's over, I need to step back and let myself love it again.

This series, is a series based on my attempts at focusing more on just letting myself chill out a little bit, and enjoy the process of drawing again. At the same time, all of these figures I create are supposed to represent another aspect of life. Our insecurities and the judgment we place on others as well as ourselves. We are all trying our best to make sense of life and of the trials and doubts we all have. We are jumbled beings, with mixes of fears, strengths, criticisms, and weaknesses. We look up to others, down on others, we judge criticize and observe others as well as ourselves.

The Insecurity Jury is you. It's me. It's everyone. But we aren't alone in our fears and insecurities. And we aren't alone when we make decisions or opinions about others. But that is the point. We're all in it together. And we need to remember that we have no idea what others are going through. Judging others from the outside is barely skimming the surface of what is underneath it all. There is a story to everyone's condition.

When we realize that everyone is trying their best, and everyone has faults and weaknesses, it's easier to accept others and be a support to them and be understanding of them in some small way.

And I think that is part of why I love meeting strangers. When you become unassuming, it's so much easier to love others and be accepting of them when you don't make a preconceived opinion about them.

Stay tuned for more details.

2010-12-19T02:05:00.000-08:00

Drawing of Chinese woman and a combination of my ink pattern and line work. I kind of love how it turned out. I'm getting more into this type of vogue fashion drawing ( a little obsessed with clothes unfortunately ;)

The girl worries.

2010-12-19T01:52:00.000-08:00

Sophie Brochant- woman involved in French civil rights back in the 70's.

Porcelain Dolls

2010-12-17T23:09:00.001-08:00

I did some drawings of some cute antique doll heads I found photos of. I just find porcelain dolls extremely charming.. even though yes, some can be very scary.

Nutcrackers.

2010-12-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessed with nutcrackers since I was small. These are ones I'm trying out for Christmas cards.

Watercolored.

2010-09-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is a little still life of garlic and lemon in a bowl.. just for fun.

Sketch book pages- Paris

2010-09-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

Sketch of Christopher

2010-09-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm in Paris and loving it. This is a quick sketch I did of a music student I met in JFK airport, we were both on our way to Paris. He was studying the French horn, and French at Vanderbilt university. It was really fun to talk to him.

Last viewpoint illustration

2010-08-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just completed my last viewpoint illustration. I originally like the look of the one without the flags on the shirts, but it didn't make sense in the context of the title and layout. I could have probably come up with a better concept, I didn't have much time today. Basically the article talks about how the U.S. may abandon Taiwan if China decides to attack it. Hence the lack of grip that Taiwan has on the U.S. in the pic.

Last day at Deseret News.

2010-08-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day working for Deseret News. I have enjoyed doing illustrations for the paper each week and I love all of my co-workers. I don't know what the future of Deseret News is, but it was a good paper to work for, and everyone was a very tight-knit bunch of good people. I wish them all the luck in the future! I'm off for my art internship to Paris next Wednesday. I am very excited!

2010-08-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

cat girl run!

2010-08-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

I've been liking this character a lot lately.

Article about Plan B scheme with Iraq war...

2010-08-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

This was for Deseret News article about the "Plan B" scheme that Obama has come up with regarding the Iraq war. "... whether or not Plan A works in Afghanistan, we will still need a Plan B to fight the long war being waged by what Obama calls “violent extremists” — sworn enemies of the West who see themselves as “jihadis,” warriors commanded by the Koran to fight non-Muslims until all submit to Islamic law and Islamic rule." According to Clifford D. May.

The shoe for adventure!

2010-08-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of shoe drawings tonight, I did a card for my friend who is leaving to NY for grad school at Pratt. Bonne chance Jessica!

Shoe designer?

2010-08-17T21:42:00.001-07:00

So I've been in contact with a shoe manufacturer in Shanghai who needs a shoe designer for their new footwear line. I came up with some very basic shoe concepts, and sent them off tonight. We'll see what comes of it.

General McChrystal

2010-08-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

This was a really fun one to do. Deseret News article about how Obama supposedly failed to scrutinize McChrystal a year previously before he was asked to step down as top commander in Afghanistan.

Yes, I love you.

2010-08-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

En Francais c'est "Yes, I love you." Je suis en amour avec mon petit ami, mais c'est tout ce que je sais.

Grumpy Bunny

2010-08-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there are days like today... when I feel like a grumpy bunny.

Ben Franklin says thus

2010-07-29T17:51:00.001-07:00

For a highly biased article on the government's involvement with the accumulation of wealth, and luxury, and how Benjamin Franklin used to say that government should not be involved. Not saying that the government should stop the wealthy from becoming wealthier... but there seems to be imbalance sometimes when there are tons of rich people and then very poor people in our country. It's a complicated topic, which I'm probably not very informed on.. but I think it's good to analyze each side of the story and not be completely right-winged about it.

Paper hearted.

2010-06-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

This drawing was inspired by the movie Paper Heart. My heart really does often feel like it's made of something fragile and easily torn when it comes to love.

University athletes dumb?

2010-06-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Article for Sunday's paper on helping athlete's become better students in universities rather than have them just focus on their athletic abilities.

LDS Living spot illustration

2010-06-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is for the next issue of LDS Living magazine for the article "Peace in the Backseat" By Joseph Walker. It's about how he used to play games with his sister on road trips, and now when he looks in the backseat of his car, he sees his kids plugged in and zoned out, not engaging with each other at all. He concludes that although it may seem like an alternative way of entertainment, he must get used to it. Personally, I think he should snap his fingers at them, get their attention and demand their engagement for at least a few hours at a time... I mean.. we're not robots yet.

The beaver symbolizes the game "Beaver" he used to play with his sister. It also implies that this old way of entertaining each other is now being ignored.

If you write the word "debt" enough, it loses meaning and looks weird.

2010-06-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

An article about helping women get out of debt.

dream

2010-06-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

I dreamt I ate a cupcake and there were needles in them and they got embedded in my tongue. And I pulled them out one by one, and they didn't hurt, but I was afraid they were going to. They were even in my throat. It was a very uncomfortable sensation. Word to the wise: inspect your cupcakes carefully.

side graphics

2010-06-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

For a feature page about the overwhelming illegal immigrants coming in from Mexico.
For an article about bat houses and how to build them. Bat awareness in general. I didn't even know there was a huge bat population in Utah. Cool.

2010-06-03T02:24:00.000-07:00

Article about whether North Korea will be allowed to watch the FIFA world cup this year. Here's hoping, right? That country needs some sort of distraction from it's current situation.

Double Downer.

2010-05-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Drawing for article about whether or not doing any of the advised healthy lifestyle choices really do prevent alzheimers and dementia. Studies say that it makes no difference.... how depressing. I guess I'll go eat a double down at KFC. And do it consecutively for the rest of my life.

2010-05-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

Birthday owls.

2010-05-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

So obviously the paper I work for is a little on the conservative side... the article compared Obama to Prince Little John in Robin Hood.... I don't agree in the slightest. But I still liked how the drawing turned out. PS I love that Disney movie.

2010-04-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my newest drawing for an article about Judge John Paul Steven's who is retiring at age 90, and how Obama will need to make a liberal balance for the next to take his place.

2010-04-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

In spirit of Easter. Eggperson.

2010-04-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

For an article about the government and how it eats up our taxes.

2010-04-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

This one was published in Sunday's viewpoint on 04/04. About how our economy needs immigrants.
I did this one first for the article above... but the concept wasn't quite there, so I re-did it.

2010-03-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

For the Limerick's contest. It's illustrating some of them, a lot of them were future based.. hence the flying saucers. I really loved doing this drawing. I think I am slowly beginning to chill out more with my line work as I get used to this job.

2010-02-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

This is for Sunday's viewpoint on America and how politicians are always looking to other countries to solve our problems, when sometimes, other countries policies aren't always working as perfectly as we think they are.

2010-02-11T15:25:00.001-08:00

Article about Obama and his anti nuclear policies- Viewpoint article this Sunday.

Nostalgic Ned and more- Valentine's greeting cards for sale.

2010-02-05T13:58:00.004-08:00

Hey everybody! I am selling my valentine's cards online here. So check 'em out! 25% of proceeds go to American Red Cross.

Heartful Helen

2010-02-05T13:58:00.003-08:00

Loving Leisel

2010-02-05T13:58:00.001-08:00

Mesmerized Meta

2010-02-05T13:57:00.001-08:00

2010-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

For Monday's life page about what to do for Valentine's Day with your loved one. This one depicts reading poetry to one another. How romantic.

2010-01-29T11:38:00.001-08:00

About terrorist tolerance and how yes we can't prevent every single terrorist attack in the USA, but at least we can be prepared for it when it happens.

2010-01-27T17:28:00.000-08:00

I originally drew the man first, and then I was told by the duty editor that it needed to be a woman because that is what the article was about.... so... I changed it. It was about the thyroid.. and I thought I'd draw a miserable person who has hyper or hypothyroidism and is suffering the side effects.

2009-12-04T16:27:00.001-08:00

For Monday's Life article on caroling.

2009-11-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

This was for the Life section (November 25) about Pie haiku's. This was to go a long with the winning one that said "Oh sweet pumpkin pie, would it really matter, if I became fatter?"

2009-11-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday's viewpoint on giving money to the poor and whether or not you should. Turns out, if they are needy, you should probably give it to them, no matter what they use it for.

2009-11-23T14:25:00.000-08:00

Desnews article about buying things for your loved ones that they actually like vs. ones that are just expensive. (Nov. 23, 2009)

2009-11-05T19:15:00.000-08:00

This is for Sunday's paper, in the Viewpoint section about the merging of differences between East and West Berlin. Deseret News.

2009-11-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

For the food page with apple recipes, Deseret News.

2009-10-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

For an article about technology dependency, Deseret News, Life section, October 26, 2009.

2009-10-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

For 21st & Ivy, online magazine.

2009-10-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Article about body image for Deseret News. (10.19.09)

2009-10-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

For Deseret News article about "Winterizing Your Home" economically this winter.

2009-09-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

For Desnews article titled "Cheap thrills come at a real price".

2009-09-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

About how American's just can't save and keep spending and spending. Tribute to Shel Silverstein's the Giving Tree.

2009-09-04T01:22:00.000-07:00

For WIC (Women Infant & Children center) I wrote and illustrated some stories for them about eating well and having a healthy body image.

2009-09-04T01:20:00.000-07:00

illustration for Fall Films, Entertainment section.

2009-08-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

A fat vitruvian man for an article about health reform and how we need to focus on improving our own personal health.

2009-08-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

Deseret News article about Obama keeping his promises to America.

2009-08-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

For an article on Depeche Mode coming to Utah.

2009-08-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

This was for a Deseret News article on Nicolas Sarkozy's banning of wearing burqas in public in France.

2009-07-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Another drawing for Deseret News on health reform and how we need change whether that means something good or bad.

2009-07-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

For Deseret News July 25th on Obama and how he's going to have to start taking his promises to America seriously.

2009-07-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Deseret News July 12, 2009 on Obama's health plan options.

2009-07-05T18:41:00.001-07:00

This was for Deseret News for the main article in the Religion section on "Founding Mothers". Ran July 4, 2009.

2009-07-03T04:46:00.000-07:00

Cover for That's Beijing, June 2009 issue "Lords of the Ming" (Ming Tombs, Beijing China)

2009-04-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

2009-04-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

For Square magazine

2009-03-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

"Do what you love" Michael Jackson before he made it big.

2009-03-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is an illustration about a young woman who discovers the darker side of her neighbor- the hatmaker.

2009-03-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

for article about "Cheap Travel 2009" for examiner.com.

2009-03-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

illustration for "How to Survive a Chinese Mullet" article for online magazine examiner.com