Selected Testimonials
Students and artists reflect on private mentorship, studio instruction, and the development of their individual practices.
“Michelle is a gifted teacher. Knowing something doesn’t always translate into being able to pass that knowledge to others.
Michelle is able to break things down into simple components, communicating ideas clearly, staying focused as a concept is built and expanded upon. Her broad depth of art knowledge also means that she has valuable insight to improve the work of both more accomplished students as well as beginners. Importantly, she is patient, kind, and encouraging.
Her critiques include explanations of color, shadow, under painting effects, the geometry of the masters, why different paintings ‘work’ while others do not. Every single person in my classes with Michelle became a better painter whatever their starting point or innate talent level.”
— Maura Rutkin
“There is a good combination of a formal structured approach to drawing and an intuitive sense of artistic quality and feeling. You provide practical analytic methods to assess and correct drawing and composition problems. There has been a lot of generous time spent on one-to-one feedback during critiques.”
— Saul Teichberg
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"Your passion and dedication are always clear and were contagious. I think more than anything I became a much more critical and analytical viewer and could see relationships more clearly in everything I observed. I especially loved that your standards were always uncompromising."
—Vera Mingovits
“Most hands-on art classes, from adult-ed to graduate classes, essentially demonstrated and gave me pointers regarding working with the materials at hand… Without further context, it is like finding my way in the dark or trying to reinvent the wheel. As a student of any discipline, I don't know what I don't know, and I look to my instructor for guidance and direction. This is where you, Michelle, stand out. Creating visual art is a process; artists have stood on the shoulders of those who came before them. When we are solving issues in class, you use the masters to give depth to my understanding. And best of all, you give in-depth personal critiques, showing me my strengths and where and how I can move forward. I had woefully deficient drawing-training and working with you has opened up a whole new world to me.”
— Edie Litwack
“I was an English Chairperson and high school teacher as well as a college professor for 10 years so I know an outstanding teacher when I see one!! Michelle is an amazing art teacher!! In the four weeks that I have worked with her on Zoom, I have learned more about art theory and practice than I had for 10 years at a local art studio. She spends a great deal of time preparing her lessons and caters them to my needs. For instance, I asked Michelle to teach me how to make my paintings more impressionistic, and she brought in several paintings of Monet and Manet and taught me how they depicted light via colors, how they mixed and juxtaposed complementary color design and how they simplified their composition. More importantly, with her technology expertise, she demonstrated how to take a photo and turn it into an impressionistic painting. I feel so blessed to have found such a wonderfully diligent and knowledgable art teacher!!”
— Charlotte Rosenzweig
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"Michelle is not only a teacher but also a role model. Her approach to teaching and attitude towards the subject are what I admire most. Rather than list mistakes made by a student Michelle teaches them to open their eyes and identify mistakes on their own. I hope I have the opportunity to work with her again because after leaving class although I do not use the exact method in my drawing I do have a new toolkit available to achieve what I want from my artwork."
—Kevin Williamson
“Michelle has an ability to meet each student exactly where they are and adapt her lesson plans to each individual. She holds no one back and leaves no one behind while being incredibly supportive of everyone's work. She also has a wealth of knowledge of artists, art history and drawing/painting methods that other teachers rarely share, and no matter what it is, Michelle has an infectious enthusiasm. All of this has expanded my knowledge and introduced me to artists who I was not familiar with, opening up a curiosity in my own approach to my work.”
— Michele Garfield
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“Your passion and intellect for art is expressed in every part of your teaching. I value the exposure to cultural, historic, creative, and rich technical art education.”
—Ellen Edelman
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“Michelle is very thorough and well schooled. She captures the individual personality of the student and works to develop your own expression.”
—Jane Shalam
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“Michelle is a truly skilled teacher who found ways to effectively teach art in a fun and concise manner. She went the extra mile to make sure each student received the personal attention they needed, which is a difficult balance to strike when teaching 10+ students! I learned so much while attending her class!”
— Peter Thompson
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“What stands out is your flexibility and agility. Rather than a parochial teaching regimen, you adapt to what I both need to learn and want to learn. You make learning easy. What I most value is that your depth and range of knowledge in art instruction is given unselfishly and enthusiastically.”
—Arthur Anderson
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“There was a radical and very beneficial change in my approach to art. I found the discipline and patience I needed and craved, as Michelle taught me so conscientiously to see in order to draw correctly. Michelle is unique in her passion for the beauty of art and music. She teaches in a philosophical way that I admired and enjoyed. She is definitely a no nonsense teacher and I was lucky to find her in my journey through art."
—Renate Reid
Private mentorship is available in Michelle’s DUMBO studio and online.