Sounds like a midwestern cliche, but Michelle was born just days after a major tornado wiped out the town where her parents lived.  Her birth certificate actually states her home as the Ramada Inn, Topeka, Kansas. 

Her early childhood was in Kansas City, KS where she was exposed to the Arts with prized trips to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and performances of the Kansas City Symphony and Kansas City Ballet.  Michelle grew up always drawing and making things from a young age. She received multiple scholarships to attend University of Arizona to study, where she graduated in 1989 with a BFA.

She pursued her art over the years, while maintaining a professional life in the Arts, all over the country.  During this time, Michelle worked for the University of Arizona, the Berta Wright Gallery, Tom Philabaum, Otto Naumann Ltd., Arroyo Design, and Cervini Haas Gallery.

Her paintings are in several private collections.