Michelle Philip

I was born in Zimbabwe and lived in Africa until the age of 12. My family emigrated to the United States, where I decided to settle in the beautiful state of Colorado. My father was a veterinarian, and we always had many animals underfoot. I draw my artistic inspiration mainly from observing and interacting with animals. I especially enjoy painting animals in relationships with each other.

As with most immigrants, getting a good education was very important to my parents, so I was groomed for a professional career even though art has always been my passion. My undergraduate degree was pre-medicine, and then I went to law school. I practiced law for a short time before giving it all up to pursue art full time. For the next 4 years, I studied art in a private atelier called the Boulder Academy of Fine Art, which had a classical curriculum focused on drawing and painting like the old masters.