Ad Lib Painting

I create abstract paintings that explore the emotional landscape and ephemeral nature of being. Drawing inspiration from music, nature, and travel, I work instinctively with color, organic forms, and expressive marks. Using brushes, spatulas, and sponges, I layer paint to create saturated fields of color, unexpected textures, and surprising compositions that invite contemplation. Each piece evolves through a dynamic interplay of structure and spontaneity. For me, painting is a cathartic process—a way to translate what’s difficult to articulate into tangible, visual form. Bio Michele de la Menardiere is an abstract painter based in San Francisco, California. She has exhibited her work in national and international galleries and her paintings are part of private and corporate collections including the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities, Nokia, and the Ritz Carlton. Michele’s art has also been exhibited and acquired by the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies Program and is part of several public art projects including a large-scale installation at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington, VA. Her paintings have been featured in prominent media outlets such as The Washington Post, on the set of KQED’s Check, Please! Bay Area, and in Sotheby’s residential projects. Michele is a graduate of Chelsea College of Art and Design in London, England.