Michele Heather Pollock

With a degree in chemical engineering from Purdue and a decade of experience in scientific research, Michele Pollock might appear to be an unlikely artisan.

She learned embroidery and stitching work as a child, and rekindled her interest in 2000 when she began hand binding books while earning her master’s degree in poetry. With her interest ignited, she attended the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, where she learned bookbinding, box-making and pop-up book techniques.

While sewing pages together for her books, Michele experimented with needle and thread on paper collage work, developing her mixed media quilted paper works. She has since expanded use of the technique to make bookmarks, greeting cards and framed fine art. Her mixed media paper sculptures were born from her work with pop-up books and three-dimensional paper works in shadow boxes.

Michele enjoys turning her love of paper and stitching into beautiful functional objects and fine art.

“Paper, stitching and text provide a consistent thread connecting all my works,” she says. “I rely on many traditional techniques, such as sewing and quilting, and I often print or hand stitch snippets of poetry into my pieces.”

Although her works are largely whimsical and imaginative, moving back to Indiana in 2007 influenced her subject matter.

“I’ve added entire content areas to my work: birds that I see daily in the woods around my home, the Indiana trees and flowers that surround me everywhere, and local animals,” Michele says.

“I am hopeful and excited that Indiana can create a solid and lasting reputation for the many dedicated Hoosiers creating things of value with their own two hands,” Michele says of Indiana Artisan.

She is grateful for the opportunities the organization provides to network with other artists, learn about her business and improve her artwork.