Born and raised in sunny Pasadena California, Michelle has been making art since she can remember. A true Renaissance woman, Michelle specializes in a number of fields though her passion has always been in the arts. The former Tournament of Roses Princess has received awards and recognition from brands from Converse to Marc Jacobs. Her work has graced the pages of magazines like Teen Vogue, and been lauded by Insidious 2 and Furious 7 director and producer James Wan.

With skill in a variety of mediums, Michelle uses her abilities to create work that truly inspires. Her work depicts the beauty in which Michelle views the world. She often utilizes bold bright colors and solid backgrounds, which give her pieces a contemporary feel. As her skills continue to grow and her work continues to evolve, she hopes that her work resonates within the heart of each viewer.

The majority of my work revolves around portraits. I used a traditional method of painting on canvas for the portrait. I then scanned the image and applied the lettering using Procreate. The yielded the results you see before you.

I wanted to create an image that represented the daily putting on of the armor but in a modern concept. We typically don’t see people putting on armor so I tried to steer away from the traditional way we view armor. Especially since our battle is spiritual. I wanted to reflect that subtlety as well. This is how I came up with the concept. When you view the piece at a glance, you just see a traditional style portrait, but when you take a closer look you can see he is covered head to toe with salvation, righteous, faith, truth, and peace. When you look at the stairs you can see “The Word of God” which is the foundation.

I am currently open for commissions. I also have existing original paintings on my website for purchase. I also have stationary and apparel I’ve designed on my site as well.

My personal IG is @michelleaokaye and my art IG is @michellekayeart. You can also learn more on my website michellekayeart.com. My email is michelle@michellekayeart.com.