The observer

New Zealand-born artist Sam Michelle lives an hour outside of Melbourne with her husband Darren, their two children and a dog. She works full- time from home, painting lush still lifes, typically with a floral element. After a recent solo inspiration trip to Christchurch, she’s been painting landscapes too.

So, Sam, how did you come to your art practice? Both sides of my family are arty, so creativity was always encouraged. I fell in love with oil painting in high school and it quickly became quite