ABOUT
Michelle Jackson Mannix is a multi-disciplinary Brooklyn artist, designer, and culinary entrepreneur who is currently expressing herself through abstract expressionism. Michelle brings homes to life with energy, bold color, and powerful brush strokes.
Mannix has collaborated with a variety of companies, including Double R Design, The Market, and Compass. She is the Artist in Residence at Resident, and her work has been commissioned for The Ned Hotel NOMAD NYC.
Michelle is a trained chef, who spent 12 years creating and running three successful culinary spaces—Ted & Honey, Parker Red & Cook Space. Her work has been featured in multiple publications, including Architectural Digest, Goop, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Remodelista. She’s a self-taught artist with supplemental education and training from the Art Students League and The New School of Visual Arts in New York. She’s living the life of her dreams with her husband, son, and two dogs and a cat in New York City.
I find my way in the doing…
I’ve found in all forms that I find my way in the doing. Whether that be with food, interior spaces, concepts, dirt, clay or paint. When I lose myself in the process of creation—my intuition takes over where my thinking stops.
This intuitive, tactile, and spontaneous process informs my work. Seeking freedom in my expression, I begin each work with ritual—a brief meditation, pause or even just a deep breath—asking to access my highest creativity and anyone on the other side.
Canvases are often scrubbed with coffee grinds, providing a first wash of color and texture. I then activate the canvas with pencil marks made with either my non-dominant hand or my eyes closed to engage my senses and allow my subconscious to take over.
Markings produce the beginnings of a map and I add color before wiping away, obliterating, revealing, and mixing; with each move influencing the next. I use highly gestural marks and brush strokes to evoke emotion, movement, and freedom in my work.
This process repeats with more layers until I feel it’s ‘finished’. I add more line work when the piece is drier hoping to create additional texture and movement.
Still want to know more about me?
I’ll keep it simple and a little bit random, with these 7 facts:
1. I grew up as a military brat (my dad was part of the bomb squad), living in 6 different states before I turned 13. Not putting down strong roots left me feeling like an outsider with an inner restlessness I pull from whenever I create.
2. I took my first real painting class 27 years ago at the Art Students League and it fulfilled so many of my fantasies—I’ve never looked back. (you can check out my original artwork here >>)
3. Cook Space started off as a book proposal before becoming the brick and mortar space in Brooklyn. After closing Ted & Honey, I met with a regular customer who happened to be a book agent. I mentioned always wanting to write a book, and she ended up copying three book agents on my idea. This random conversation opened up a new world. I started learning about book proposals (and myself), while exploring what I really had to say about my philosophy, process, and belief systems. The idea was great (still is!) but I didn’t have a platform.
So, I decided to create one. But instead of building my Instagram following, I did what I know best—creating a small business. I took what seemed like an obstacle and used it as an opportunity to start over and go back to what I love in a deeper way. This pattern has repeated itself many times over the course of my life, and it’s always worked out
4. I’m obsessed with The Class. When I’m not in my studio or there, you’ll find me walking outside, hanging with family, entertaining friends, going to the movies, making ceramics, or fussing with my plants.
5. My husband used to refer to me as the “Brooklyn Martha Stewart.” Inspired in part by my passion for all “domestic” pursuits—beautiful personal interiors, cooking, ceramics, and love for growing vegetables. Jokes/nicknames aside—I do have a deep respect for creating with what’s available, working on found objects, and repurposing materials. I like to be very intentional with the food I eat and to surround myself with meaningful art often created by friends.
6. I find inspiration from artists like Joan Mitchell, Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, Kerry James Marshall, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jane Cornwell and artist friends of mine in all forms. I also pull from my nomadic background, shallow southern roots, and New York City as sources.
7. Music is a huge passion of mine from Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Van Morrison to The National, Neko Case and Sharon Van Etten to PJ Harvey and Martha Wainwright. I love listening to deeply moving music with great lyrics and feeling whenever I’m creating in my studio (art) or in my home (cooking).
8. I LOVE WHAT I DO. I literally pinch myself when I think about how I have the freedom, creativity, solitude, and ability to express myself by making things and getting my hands dirty. I love creating a piece not to hang in a gallery, but to be a focal point in someone's home.
9. That’s what I hope to be to help you with here… find a piece of art that makes your world just a little more beautiful.
Are you ready to find your piece? Click here.