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Michelle Richardella

@richincolors

963

followers

1662

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Here to share…
art, words, practices, & spaces
that bring me back to me:
Artist • Teacher • Mother • Human
trying to stay present & connected🫶

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Heart space is a physical location that is defined by the heart and the healing power of love. This creates a conscious space which allows for deep connection and empathy to unfold. When I created this illustration, I imagined the way I bring my hands together to meet at my chest at the end of a yoga flow or during a meditation. I bring my focus to that space, where my heart opens and I release all the good intentions.

I have to admit, I have been a bit addicted to my Apple Pencil and Procreate since this whole new world of illustration has opened up for me. I find my mind constantly wandering into different ideas I can create in this program. So, needless to say, I’ll be sharing many more digital illustrations than I ever have before. I created this piece while taking @lizkohlerbrown @skillshare course on “Illustrating with Layered Texture and Color in Procreate”. These were all done with her brushes she shared in the curriculum resources. So very grateful for the opportunity to learn and evolve as an artist each day. by @richincolors

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6 years ago

Having a creative block? Here’s one of my top tips to break from that “BLANK CANVAS SYNDROME”

#artisttips #creativity #creativityfound #creativeblock #gowiththeflow #artprocess #creativeprocess #artflowsessions #intuitiveart #abstractart #abstractobsession #abstractogram #artteacher #makersgonnamake #artstudio #artteachers by @richincolors

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5 years ago

HEY! It's been awhile since I re-introduced myself for anybody who might be a newcomer to my page.⁠
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I am RICH IN COLORS... I liked this name for this space because it takes my last name (Richardella) and puts a spin on it! I hope to live a FULL life rich in colors.⁠
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I somebody with big feelings and I spent years strapped into the emotional roller coaster of my life. I have felt myself spinning in the swirling chaos of anxiety, drowning in the muck of depression, holding tightly to grief, or getting lost in the repetitive ruminations of negativity. I felt shame for myself and blamed other people or circumstance for the problems in my life. I didn’t feel whole. ⁠
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Art gave me a window into my own thoughts, patterns, and feelings. The moment I opened that window, I knew I never wanted to be asleep for one more moment! ⁠
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I believe it is a radical act to truly be alive- to live more mindfully, compassionately, and connected with the world! ⁠
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I have spent my personal life, career, education, and research in exploring how creativity can heal, transform, and support change. I've been teaching art in a public school for 10 YEARS NOW! ⁠
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I created this online space to share my own lessons, tutorials, artwork, and words about my own creative and HUMAN experience. I hope you feel connected to my messages and leave feeling INSPIRED to discover your creative self! ⁠
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#mindbodysoul #selfcare #loveyourself #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #higherself #carveouttimeforart #passioncolorjoy #colorcrushcreative #womenwhodraw #colormehappy #therapyart #mindfulart #creativityfound #creativityeveryday #soulpurpose #creativeliving #wellness #artflowsessions #inspirationalvibes #creativecommunity #createcommune #journal #journalingcommunity by @richincolors

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6 years ago

I love creating structure that sets students up for success, then stepping back and giving them room to surprise themselves. Sometimes the most meaningful learning happens when we stop trying to lead students to a destination and let them discover their own way.

That’s why I love using Pen as the tool, Inktober as the prompt, and Surrealism as the tool to help students find their own creative voice.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want this space to be. A place to share pieces of my life as an artist, educator, and mother. A place to explore creativity, motherhood, yoga, reading, travel, and the small, intentional practices that help me feel more grounded in a world that often feels designed to distract us and pull us away from ourselves and each other.

I want to keep making things, asking questions, finding beauty in ordinary moments, and figuring out what it means to live with more purpose, balance, and peace.

I’m starting to explore these ideas more deeply on the blog, where there’s a little more room to write, reflect, and connect the dots between the things that matter to me.

If any of this resonates with you, I’d love for you to join me there. You can find the link to my blog in the bio.

Here’s to making space for the things that make us feel human.

#ArtEducation #CreativeLiving #MindfulLiving #ArtTeacher #RichInColors by @richincolors

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2 days ago

A day at the Art Institute of Chicago with my AP Art students! We toured the museum, made art in their Open Studios program (available only Mondays for school programs), explored galleries on our own, and took in a little more of Chicago along the way.

One of my favorite parts of teaching art is giving students opportunities to learn beyond the classroom—to experience artwork in person, discover artists and ideas that spark something in them, and find inspiration for their own AP portfolios and Sustained Investigations.

Learning beyond the classroom means:
• Seeing art in person and from new perspectives
• Discovering artists, materials, and ideas that inspire them
• Making connections between what we learn and the real world
• Having the freedom to explore, wonder, and be inspired

#artteacher #iteachart by @richincolors

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9 days ago

👻 A spooky twist on charcoal skills! 🎃

I’ve been teaching charcoal value blending skills for years, but I wanted to come up with a more interesting (and festive!) way for my students to practice blending and fabric drawing before we dive into charcoal portraits next week.

I wanted something perfect for spooky season, and after seeing a wonderful still life by fellow art educator Priscilla Opolka in a Facebook art teacher group, I knew my students would love it too! So…meet our friendly little ghost! 👻 And they’ve been posing with him all week. 😂

The setup was super easy! Most art classrooms have a skeleton hanging around for drawing studies, so I simply threw a sheet over ours and added a variety of hats—and, of course, a tiara or two for our queens! 👑

Students could draw from life or from a photograph. We started with some mini studies of fabric, focusing on those beautiful folds and how the light hits and creates value changes. Then they created their own charcoal studies featuring our friendly ghost.

Such a fun project for a week of preparatory skills! It gave them a chance to really focus on blending, value, and drawing fabric in a way that felt playful and seasonal.

I can’t wait to see how they translate these skills into their charcoal portraits next week! 🖤👻

#ArtTeacher #ArtEducation #CharcoalDrawing #DrawingLessons #ArtClass by @richincolors

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10 days ago

Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.

As the new season is making its way, I am left once again in shock and awe at the rapid pace time seems to be passing. I find myself scrolling through videos of my little guy from two autumns ago, with this wobbly walk and curiosity at every leaf. The curiosity hasn’t left him, but rather, it intensifies with hearing all the thoughts running through his brilliant brain! As much as my heart yearns to hold my little baby again, these days with my 3 year old best friend are such a treasure! I am doing all I can to grasp at these minutes, hours, days before they disappear like the last autumn.

So I created this little illustration Change Is Beautiful. Because so often the nostalgia and the fleeting moment can feel so overwhelming at times. I need to remember how beautiful my life has changed for the better.

Some words somebody said way better than me:

As the parent of a baby or young child, it’s so easy to feel grief over the supersonic speed of time passing; it’s so easy to think, “Don’t grow up- stay this sweet, stay this little.”

But maybe. Instead of aching to stop time, we can put our trust in the future. Maybe we can fill our hearts with thoughts like this one:

‘No matter how big you get, no matter how much you change, I will always love you as much as I do in this moment- and more.’

What a freeing, comforting thought: that our love and our bond with our babies will only deepen over time. That motherhood will keep getting better, richer, and more rewarding.

-Kelsey Haywood Lucas

#procreate #autumnvibes #motherhood #mindset by @richincolors

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20 days ago

This is peak Art Teacher prep period. ☕️🎨

You can find me (or please don’t find me), hiding in my art office (aka closet glow up) rewatching Gilmore Girls.

Plus, rumor has it if you start watching Gilmore Girls on September 22nd and watch four episodes a week: autumn feels like autumn, Christmas lands in December, & Spring arrives right on time! Celebrate the seasons with Lorelai & Rory this year. 🍂🍁🧡

I am always looking for ways to take this crazy, chaotic thing we call life and slow it down, enjoy, let it simmer.

#gilmoregirls #september #nostalgia #fallvibes #fallshow #comfort by @richincolors

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a month ago

A weekend full of inspiration!! From creating in the incredible classrooms and facilities at @ccs_detroit to standing before Diego Rivera’s iconic fresco at the DIA, wandering Detroit’s vibrant murals with all the wisdom of @sabrinanelson67, artist talk with @naturallyillustrated, visiting artists at @pioneerbuildingdetroit, and getting ink-covered in an unforgettable printmaking workshop led by @caraoconnorart —I came home with fresh ideas, new skills, and a renewed creative spark. So very grateful for this Makers Weekend and all the artists who shared their work and wisdom. Special thanks to my poodle @gallerinagirl450 for inviting me to #ccsmakersweekend26 @ccs_admissions and all the fellow educators I met who are keeping the arts alive in schools: @j.h.jpeg @danicaantich @jellybean_am_ber_ @misshard @oldestghost @clint.robertson.art @gileashby @zhsfineartsdept @ethelapple13 @comicsteacher #MakersWeekend #DetroitArts #CreativeCommunity #Printmaking #ArtistLife #CCS #DetroitMurals #CreativeInspiration

& of course had to add music from @officialjackwhite Detroit native and founder/owner of @thirdmanrecords which you know I had to check out on my lunch break.

All in all, Detroit is such a creative hot spot and I am beyond inspired by my weekend soaking it all in! by @richincolors

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4 months ago

As conversations about AI continue to grow, I find myself returning to a different question:

What does it mean to be human?

AI can generate images and information, but it can’t replace curiosity, empathy, imagination, or the joy of creating something with your own hands.

That’s why I believe art education matters more than ever.

The art room is a place to experiment, problem-solve, collaborate, take risks, and discover what you care about. It’s a place where process matters more than perfection.

As an art teacher, I hope we continue to create spaces where young people can learn not just facts, but how to think creatively, connect with others, and find meaning in what they do.

This is why I love what I do, and why I’ll always advocate for the arts.

How do we stay human in a world designed to distract us?

Maybe it starts by making something.

#creativitymatters #arteducation #futureofeducation by @richincolors

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4 months ago

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be an artist.

Should I be sharing what I’m making online to be an artist? Should I always need to be producing something? Do I need to sell, promote, or build an audience? What is my place here if the art isn’t what it’s all about?

The older I get, the more I think art isn’t really about the art at all.

It’s about making.

It’s about staying connected to that deeply human urge to create something that wasn’t there before. To use our hands. To get lost in color, line, ideas, and imagination. To be fully present for a moment.

Motherhood has changed this practice for me.

My time is no longer fully my own. Maybe I carve out twenty minutes to draw while my son plays with monster trucks. Maybe we’re creating side by side. Maybe I don’t finish the sketch because we’re potty training and there’s been an accident.

💩 happens.

And honestly, I think that’s part of the lesson.

My son is teaching me something I spent years learning through yoga: surrender. Ishvara Pranidhana. It keeps showing itself back to me, proving this is something I will need to practice through my lifetime. Letting go of expectations. Letting go of control. Being present for what IS instead of what I planned.

The artwork may never be finished. The house may be messy (oh so many piles). The day may not go as expected.

But this is life.

And I want to be here for all of it.

Maybe that’s why I make art.

Not to perform.

Not to produce.

Just to remember what it feels like to be alive.
& that’s something I want to share.❤️ by @richincolors

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4 months ago

Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximising scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible.

- Wintering, Katherine May

#rest #wintering #rechargeyoursoul #mindfulmotherhood #selfcompassion #wellness #meditation #naturecaptures #wilderness #slowliving by @richincolors

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10 months ago