Michèle Heibel was born in Switzerland in 1972. After attaining a Diploma in Graphic Arts and going on to work in the Australian Publishing industry for close to two decades, Michèle felt a deep need to return to her artistic roots and the rural lifestyle she had known as a child. Within the space of a year she left her job, became a mother, relocated to the Hunter Valley and began creating her unique miniature artworks. Created on clayboard Black using only a pin screwed into an antique tool that once belonged to her late Grandfather, they possess a whimsical, dream-like quality. Her use of silhouettes has been said to be reminiscent of the traditional Swiss art form of Scherenschnitt (trans. from German to mean ‘scissor cut’, the art of paper-cutting design). Present day, Michèle is a well-established and award-winning artist, having been a finalist in numerous major prizes.
