Dense, green trees line a distant shoreline across the water in Caren-Marie Michelle’s painting, “Cadillac from Schoodic Loop Road.” Seaweed-covered rocks make up the foreground, with a few stray buoys floating serenely in the water. The crisp blue sky and sparse clouds declare a sunny atmosphere, and one can almost smell the fresh air. The Schoodic Loop is an exquisite view to walk or drive in Winter Harbor, Maine. While the loop is an always-changing environment, the rocks in the foreground and mountains in the distance are an ever-constant presence, and a place of peace for Michelle.

Born in Portland, Maine, Michelle grew up surrounded by idyllic scenes of nature, raised by parents who supported her artistic dreams. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the Portland School of Art (now the Maine College of Art and Design), Michelle married and her life diverged away from art. While raising a family, Michelle took a job in banking and did not paint for almost 18 years. When her last daughter graduated high school in 2000, she quit banking and returned immediately to painting. “I’m a great believer that there’s a time for everything in one’s life,” Michelle says. Twenty-two years after art school, she hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped since.

Michelle prefers to create her work in plein-air (outside) when the weather is agreeable. When the weather isn’t so kind, she works in her studio from photographs she’s taken. Although the scene in “Cadillac from Schoodic Loop Road,” seems sunny and bright, Michelle got caught up in dense fog as she worked and had to finish the piece back in her studio. The Schoodic area is one of her favorites in Maine. “I travel up there and I’ll stay for a week at a time and paint,” she said, “I’ll go up for the whole week and explore different areas.”

Michelle has had work featured in galleries and art shows all over the country, though she exhibits primarily in Maine. Most recently, she had a solo show in New Brunswick, Canada. For Michelle, there’s no rush in what’s to come in her art career; she’s just enjoying falling in love with different areas of Maine. 

This article was originally published in the January 2024 issue.