Six times a year, we welcome a new visiting guest local artist into Riverside Collective. For the rest of 2025, we are thrilled to have local farmer and cyanotype artist, Michelle Aronson of Farmbelly Creative Studio in residence. We caught up with Michelle to ask a few questions about her process and her art.
What inspires your art?
Mother Nature! We live on a 10-acre vegetable farm just up the road from Saxapahaw, and being constantly surrounded by fresh flowers, vegetables, fruit trees, herbs, etc is honestly the biggest inspiration for my art. Making cyanotypes has completely altered the way that I observe the world, and now every leaf or flower bloom that I see makes me ask... "can I cyanotype that?!"
How does Saxapahaw influence your art?
My art is entirely inspired by the natural world around me, and Saxapahaw is a huge part of that! I've always had a passion for photography, I love that the cyanotype process allows me to turn my photographs into one-of-a-kind art. Ever since we first moved to the Saxapahaw area about 6 years ago, I've taken countless photos of the Haw River, Saxapahaw water tower, post office, converted mill buildings, etc – and it's been such a fun process turning those photos into cyanotypes.
If you were to speak for your art how would you fill in these prompts?
I feel… tranquil, grounded, ALIVE.
I need… sunshine!
I am… one of a kind.
What’s your favorite tool and why?
The sun! A lot of the nuance around creating cyanotypes is determining the correct sun exposure time based on the weather (i.e. a sunny vs. cloudy day), time of year, time of day, etc. The UV light from the sun is the literal tool that creates a cyanotype, and I love the challenge of working with the rhythms of nature to create my pieces.
What’s one thing that someone who isn’t a cyanotype artist wouldn’t know about what you do?
What’s one thing that someone who isn’t a cyanotype artist wouldn’t know about what you do?
I think it's safe to say that the majority of people probably aren't sure what a cyanotype is (and a year ago, I didn't know either!) so I think explaining the process would be helpful. Essentially, cyanotype is a centuries-old photographic process that uses sunlight (or UV lights) and a UV-sensitive solution to create “blue prints” of images on paper or fabric. When sunlight hits paper that has been painted with the UV-sensitive solution, everything exposed to the UV light turns a deep Prussian blue after being rinsed in water, and anywhere that was blocked from the light turns white/light blue.
What idea or concept are you chewing on as an artist right now? Has it shown up in your work yet?
I'm fascinated by the little details in the natural world that we typically overlook, and how cyanotypes can be a way to highlight the quiet magic of Mother Nature. The complex patterns in a clump of moss, the intricate veining on a leaf or flower blossom, the cross-section of a juicy sliced pear... if we took the time to *really* recognize and appreciate the small miracles in the world around us, would we take better care of our planet? My botanical prints are certainly making an effort to showcase the wonders of the natural world, but I know that I still have so much more to explore.
Are you a rebel with your art in any way? How does that make it better?
Are you a rebel with your art in any way? How does that make it better?
I wouldn't say that I'm a rebel exactly... but I do tend to approach my art in a rather obsessive, all-consuming way. When I find an art form that I'm passionate about, I dive in head first and I'm constantly filled with ideas to research and try. While I know this tendency can be frustrating to the people around me (as I'm not always as present as I should be...), on the positive side, I'm relentless in working to improve my skills as an artist.