Michelle Waldele - Felted Creations

Michelle Waldele-Dick was born in Portland, Oregon in 1964 and has lived in the Pacific Northwest ever since.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks with a Major in Drawing and a Minor in Metals.  After graduation, she worked as a scrimshaw artist for ten years and an illustrator for five while, together with her husband Ken, raising two children. Michelle resumed her training in traditional academic drawing and oil painting techniques at the Gage Academy in Seattle, where she studied with such exceptional artists as John Moral, Anthony Ryder, Juliette Aristides, and Geoffrey Laurence.

Michelle's affinity for collecting antique toys, beyond bringing whimsical delight to her works, has led her to develop her own felted sculptures of beloved characters. In addition to painting and felting, Michelle teaches art to both children and adults at her home studio in Bothell, where she lives with her husband Ken.  Her work can be found in private collections throughout the U.S.