“I look at the world as color notes.” So says Michele Usibelli, and to realize the truth of that statement, all you have to do is look at one of her paintings. Splashes of color and bursts of light jump off the canvas, almost daring you to look away. You can’t do it, however; her brushstrokes sweep you into and around the painting, creating a visual journey that you don’t want to end.
Usibelli’s own journey began when she was a young girl growing up in Seattle, Washington. By the time she was in second grade she knew what she wanted to be as an adult: an artist. “I always had a desire to create,” she says. “My mother taught me to sew at an early age, and I thought maybe I would be a fashion designer. She was also a beautiful pianist, and I studied with a well-known teacher for 16 years.”
Read the full article in the September/October 2025 issue.
Eight Seconds
oil
14″ by 11″
Autumn Currents
oil
30″ by 30″
