Michelle Samson is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in set design, prop styling, art direction, and botanicals. She works on a diverse range of subjects for commercial and editorial clients including for fashion, film, and brands to help them fulfill their goals in reaching their audience through impactful visual stories.
When Michelle was a kid, she used to lie in bed, surround herself with gummy bears, and pretend that she was Gulliver. And also annoy her mother by smearing Caress soap all over the bathroom mirror so she could draw pictures with her finger. As well as draw pictures with a black ballpoint pen on the back of the white vinyl seats of her parents’ blue Firebird. Sometimes she pretended she could fly by jumping off the armoire in the guest bedroom.
In the present day, Michelle is a visual storyteller who is open to any idea which will help clients fulfill their goals in reaching their audience. Who is their audience, what is their audience like, what problem is being solved by the client, what is the client offering that their audience doesn’t even know they need yet?
With her botanical design work, she explores the interrelationships amongst humans, architecture, fashion, and botanicals. With heavy influence from textiles and textures, she seeks to express such relationships by blurring the lines of floral arranging beyond traditional design work, utilizing concepts involving movement, form, shape, and sculpture. The fleetingness of a flower’s life is at the root of Michelle’s botanical work.
Michelle’s work has appeared on various platforms in print and online including Glamour and Vogue. She has also participated in art exhibitions and performance art. Additionally she was one of the leads on the EXOTIC GOODS photography exhibition. She’s currently based in the Washington, D.C. metro area and is available for travel.
When she’s not brainstorming and designing, Michelle occasionally teaches flower arranging workshops from basic design and cut flower care skills to ikebana-inspired design. Her main purpose is to get folks who want to use flowers for their everyday life, excited about flowers and not be scared to design with flowers. One of her goals is to finish all her certifications to become an ikebana master.
Once in awhile you may catch her on the side of the road cutting random branches with the perfect curve, in a meeting with a friend art directing their engagement shoot, and possibly munching on a Whopper and something from the orange food group (Doritos, Cheetos, orange soda, etc).
Oh wait. You want to work with Michelle? Drop her a line with project details via the Contact page, via email at michelle.samson.art@gmail.com, or stalk her via Instagram.
Services
Set Design
Set Decorating
Prop Styling
Art Direction
Botanical Design and Workshops
Art Installations and Projects
Experiential Installations
