My Journey

Hi there! I’m Michelle, and I’m an artist born and raised in San Diego CA. I’m the daughter of a ballet dancer and jewelry designer, so I’ve always been encouraged to pursue the arts. From a young age I showed creative talent in a variety of fields from musical theater to designing barbie clothes. As I aged I decided to pursue the visual arts. My parents convinced our neighbor to teach me and a few other neighborhood kids to draw and paint. Once a week we would walk to her home after school, and work on art projects for an hour. Once I got to high school, I took art as my elective for all 4 years. On the walls of the art room, the teacher had painted the titles of a hundred different art jobs. It was at this moment that I realized art could be my career as well as my hobby. 

In 2011 I started my college experience at San Diego State University. I pursued a fine art degree and loved it. My freshman year of college I realized that I should also start to build my network, so that when I graduated I’d have a head start in art world. I made two very important decisions; to join a painting guild with a physical gallery to show my work, and to do one art show a month. By following through on both these decisions, I had a modest network and business plan under my belt by the time I graduated in 2015.

After graduating college, I found myself floundering creatively. Although I loved my art education experience from elementary school all the way through college, the assignments and directives of that instruction left me without a personal voice. Now that there was no instructor to tell me what to paint, I had to figure that out on my own. And that was the biggest change for me. 

I decided to apply for a grant, called the Fullbright grant. This application caused me to ask the question, “What do I want someone to pay me to create?” It is now my job as an artist to answer this question with genuine gentleness, and to pursue the work that I am led to create.

PUblications & Illustrated works

• Why Am I Me? (illustrated)

• Mrs. H Comics (illustrated)

• Zahra the Shadow Flame (colored, issues 1 & 2)

• Christabel (Oil illustrations, kickstarting soon!)

• 31 Dark Elements (illustrated)

See my work In person

• Spanish Village Art Center, Studio 23 & Studio 16b

  • 1770 Village Pl, San Diego CA, 92101

• Local pop up shows

  • Sign up for my newsletter!

• YOUR BUSINESS

  • Let’s work together! Please contact me directly for showing opportunities at michellejoymontrose@gmail.com

  • I would even love to just drop off some business cards! Let’s connect!

Low-Waste Living:

I’m committed to living a low-waste lifestyle. From composting to reusing cardboard, I make it my goal to reduce the amount I contribute to the landfills. This applies also to my business, so I often re-use packaging! So, please do not be surprised if you order a print from me, and the cardboard it comes in is part of an eggo waffle box; it represents my decision to make the world a little greener. Thank you for your patronage, and consider recycling that box afterwards!

Bonus content about me

In addition my investment visual arts, I also perform in local renaissance fairs, build costumes, play board games/ tabletop games with friends, spend way too much time building settlements in Fallout 4, work part time at New Day Urban Ministries (a ministry that serves the homeless), and attend the Resolved Church.

My husband and I live in San Diego CA, and were married in 2020. We then purchased our first condo in 2022, and have been laboring to make it our own. When you purchase my art, you really are supporting a real person who celebrates every sale.

 FAQ

How can I purchase your artwork?

There are 3 ways to bring home a beautiful painting you really love.

• You can check out the paintings currently available here on my website.

• or you can commission a custom painting.

• You can also see my work in person at my studio in San Diego, at 1770 Village Pl, #16b, San Diego CA 92101

How do I know if a painting is right for my space?

This is a common question for online art buyers! You can take a photo of your room, let me know how large one of the items in the photo is, and send it to michellejoymontrose@gmail.com.  I will digitally place the painting onto your blank wall for you to preview.

How do I start the commission process?

Once I receive your brief inquiry form, I will walk you through a very simple & fun process! 

Do you offer gift cards?

Absolutely! Email me and I will send you a digital gift card.

Will you hold a painting for me?

I offer flexible payment plans so you can claim your favorite painting before anyone else while being conscientious of your budget. I mark the painting as sold when I receive your deposit. You receive the artwork when your payments are complete. Easy!

I’m interested in a painting but its out of my budget. Can I do a payment plan?

Email me at Michellejoymontrose@gmail.com about your new painting and I’ll set up a plan that makes sense for you!

Do you offer frames?

Any artwork pictured with a frame comes with that frame. If you’d like to purchase it frameless, please email me and I will create a custom listing.

If you’d like me to frame a piece for you, please email me and we can discuss your needs.

US Shipping

Squarespace wants to double the cost of my website to calculate shipping, so I have flat rates. Please select the flat rate based on what you are purchasing.

Worldwide Shipping

Let’s do it! Email me for a quote, since different countries cost different amounts to send to.

Please note that artwork may be subject to duties, taxes and/or fees according to your country’s regulations. Please consult your local customs office for more details about duties and taxes. For a shipping cost estimate, please contact me at michellejoymontrose@gmail.com. 

Returns

All sales are final. Exceptions are made in case of any damage incurred during shipping. If this happens, please contact me within 3 days of receiving your artwork to discuss solutions.

Further Questions

Please let me know how I can help! Contact me directly at Michellejoymontrose@gmail.com