Oh, you’re going to love this conversation!
I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Michelle Cohen, and honestly, her story is one of those that just makes you smile. You know when you meet someone and you can just feel their passion for what they do? That’s Michelle.
So here’s the thing, Michelle paints on glass. Not canvas, not paper: GLASS. And when I tell you her work is stunning, I mean you literally have to look twice to figure out if you’re looking at a painting or a photograph. It’s that good.
Michelle’s originally from the prairies in Saskatchewan, Canada, which are about as flat as you can get. So when she moved to Glasgow permanently back in 2011, she completely fell head over heels for our mountains and coastlines.
I mean, can you blame her? And you can see that love affair with Scottish landscapes in most of the pieces she creates.
But what I really loved hearing about was how she discovered this whole glass-painting technique.
Picture this: she’s living in Malaysia 20 years ago, a friend gives her some IKEA clip frames, and she just decides to pour acrylic paint all over them to see what happens. And boom 💥 she discovered this incredible way of creating depth and vibrancy that you just can’t get any other way.
Now she’s pushing it further, going hyperrealistic with buildings and animals, seeing just how detailed she can get.
To make it extra special though, Michelle frames many of her Scottish landscapes with reclaimed whisky barrel staves.
Each piece of wood has its own history, its own story, and when you pair that with a Scottish landscape... it’s just magic.
Now, if you’re in Glasgow, you might already know Michelle’s name because she’s been a massive part of our art community.
Most recently though, after all that time putting everyone else first, Michelle’s finally taking time for herself.
She’s got a pop-up shop at Excite in Braehead until January ‘26, and she’s just... painting. Creating. Getting into that flow state.
And wait until you hear about her adventures: last year she sailed from Shetland to Lithuania on a 103-year-old ship during the summer solstice. I mean, come on!
And next June, she’s heading to the northern Himalayas in Pakistan to do documentary photography for an eyesight charity. As someone whose entire livelihood depends on being able to see, helping people get glasses in rural villages is incredibly meaningful to her.
What I really appreciated in our chat was Michelle’s perspective on protecting local heritage and community spaces. We talked about how important it is to preserve these venues that hold the soul of the city, even if they’re only 40-odd years old.
So grab a cuppa, settle in, and come meet Michelle. Whether you’re interested in art techniques, community building, or just hearing from someone who’s found that beautiful balance between giving back and following their own creative path, this conversation has something for you.
Find Michelle: Pop-up shop at Excite, Braehead (open until January)
Instagram: @cohenart11
Facebook: Cohen - Art
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