Surya + Expressive Art Experience
The Spring '26 edition of our local independent female-led enterprise series!
We spent the day with artist Michelle Springett from Expressive Art Experience. We first noticed Michelle at markets wearing her paint splattered dungaree dresses, and thought it would be fun to give her a brand new white dress and she what she would create!
Michelle owns Expressive Art Experience - a mobile art studio that she takes on the road wherever she's needed; retreats, corporate team building days, paint n sip evenings and everywheere in between. She also has her own market stall where she sells wearable art – images that she's painted onto clothing.
I had a very happy childhood, our familiy
moved to WA when I was only four and returned to Sydney when I was 12.
All my primary years were in WA. When we moved back to Sydney's Northern Beaches we moved into the same street as when we left seven years before... only five house up the street from when we left.
I'm a middle child of three, two brothers – art and craft was my escape from them both!
Whilst at high school I did two weeks work experience in a class room, but never considered it possible to become a teacher.
I worked for decades in office work, event planning, marketing, graphic design and funeral directing (to name just a few of the career choices I've had).
I left funeral directing, which I loved, it was so rewarding to help families at their darkest times ... but I left with a strong desire to help those who were still here.
I studied life coaching, but I finally landed on art therapy and it felt like an umbrella of all the careers/jobs that had gone before.
"With art therapy I could share empathy, design, event planning and organisational skills into a business that seemed like the perfect fit for me."
I love teaching what I've learned, and what I've taught myself. It's very rewarding to share techniques with others just starting out or those that have been painting for a while.
I enjoy pushing people beyond their comfort zone – that's usually where the magic happens. People tell me I'm a natural teacher and I do enjoy explaining things, so people understand what I'm sharing with them.
One of the best moments is hearing someone say, “Wow, I didn’t think I could do that!”
Giving people the opportunity to explore, experiment and discover their own art style is the best!
When I paint for myself it's more of a therapeutic experience where I can get lost in my art and enjoy the magic of those moments.
I love painting our colourful Australian birds, and that has transferred over to fabric painting of the birds. I used to paint t-shirts in my teens (a few decades ago) and it's rewarding to come full circle now to be painting wearable art.
It's so cool when I see someone wearing my art!
"When you think about it there's only so much art you can hang on walls, and really, how many people can you share it with? Wearable art makes a statement, and you can share it with everyone"
Michelle has a fabulous street library out the front of her house – we were obsessed with it! The old retro fridge is SUCH a great idea, I'm going to borrow it!
I painted the fridge, although the sides were painted by my daughter Tiffany and my young neighbour Jessie. The fridge was Jessie's mum's idea and we collaborated together to make it a fun feature in our street.
The library is actually an old Kelvinator upright freezer with all it's original features inside.
I love birds, they are all so unique and have character and I feel they talk to me. I do paint other things, but keep being called back to paint birds. I love their eyes, and my paintings really zoom in on the eyes.
I believe once you get the eyes and beak in the right place, you can be as abstract as you want with the feathers.
Most people love birds, especially our Australian birds, they are so beautiful, colourful and interesting when you start researching them, like galah's eyes are different colour in the male and females ... little things like that are fascinating. Red-tailed and yellow-tailed black cockatoos are different species and not the male/female of one species.
The dress is really starting to come together!
Any favourite quotes, Michelle?
"Just do it" - Nike brand. Procrastination can be real and by just doing it - it's amazing how much we can achieve. I don't want regrets when I look back on my life.
Why do you love the Dungaree Dresses so much?
The Dungaree dress is now a staple in my wardrobe, I almost have all the colours! I love that I can slip it on and it doubles as a dress and work apron. I love the paint building up on them all and I'm well-known
to wear them with big chunky boots and fun tees underneath.
I also adorn them with embroidery patches - when in art - have fun! My favourite part is wearing them out and about in public and to events, they are quite the conversation starter!
Might need to get me some Juanita Overalls for Summer... what could I paint on them??
Thanks so much Michelle for letting us come to work with you for the day, and document how you turn a simple dress into a work of wearable art!
Follow along on Michelle's art journey:
Until next time,
Mel Xx
