BIO

Michie Stovall O’Day was born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1956. Although exposed throughout her childhood to the folk art of her grandmother, Queena Stovall, and to more classical styles as an adult, Michie did not begin painting until she turned thirty.

Michie's paintings are in private collections throughout the United States and in England. She has received numerous private commissions and has been the subject of profiles in various publications. She is currently writing a memoir which she hopes to publish in 2022 or 2023. If your email address doesn’t change between now and then, you’ll get a notice once the book is available.

In 1996, Michie became deaf from tumors on her acoustic nerves. In 2000, she moved to Stonington, Maine, to devote her life to her art. The subsequent change in her work has been profound. Her landscapes and still life paintings convey a sense of discovery, peace, and unapologetic fascination with the romance and beauty of imperfection. In 2011, she relocated to Portland for medical reasons. Losing the use of her hands and unable to manipulate a paint brush, Michie switched to digital painting on her iPad in 2013 and was beginning to find a path forward using the Procreate app. However, further health problems in 2018 kept her from painting again. But that doesn’t mean she has abandoned all creative activity.

STATEMENT

I grew up in Virginia, revering my grandmother's paintings of the farm life she knew and loved. But I didn't start painting myself until adulthood. At age 43 I moved to Maine, where I found the subjects I wanted and needed to paint - and began to understand why. Just as Queena's paintings reflected the life she knew, my paintings are the story of my life.

Although I am deaf and disabled, I live independently and have an active and happy life. My paintings are about endurance and grace. They are also about harsh realities and human intervention. Ultimately, I paint the beauty I find in my silent world.

In 2011, I relocated to Portland for medical reasons. Slowly losing the use of my hands and no longer able to manipulate a paint brush, I switched to digital painting in 2013 and began to find a way forward using the Procreate app. However, new health problems in 2018 further hindered my ability to do the physical work of painting. But that doesn’t mean i’ve abandoned all creative activity. As you’ll read in the March 2021 Musing on this website, I’ve started my book!