Conversations with Michelle Mondragon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Mondragon.

Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been teacher, photographer/digital artist for over 20 years. Prior to that, I worked in multiple industries. None of which brought me any joy. So when I started college at the ripe old age of 40 I was ready for a change.

After several years working as a professional photographer I was asked to teach at Pikes Peak State College (PPSC-formally PPCC) with their newly forming photography department. What I thought would be just a temporary gig led me on a journey I never would have dreamt of. That started in 2006 and I’m still going strong. I’m also at Cottonwood Center for the Arts teaching shorter versions of the classes I offer at PPSC. Meanwhile, I continue to create my own imagery.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is it ever a smooth road? Especially for creatives?

When it comes to teaching the ongoing challenge is finding the budget and off-campus opportunities to offer my students to help them reach their goals. Constantly creating new lessons that keep up with industry trends and changes in technology is one of the fun parts of the job. I try to find the balance between the joy of helping people find their creative voice and the challenge of helping them find ways for them to break into the business should that be their goal.

For my own art, I have a love/hate relationship with time. I never have enough of it or space. When I’m set up for teaching in my studio there isn’t room for doing my art. So I go for months at a time when I simply don’t have the space to create even if I could find the time. Fortunately, I truly find helping others learn the tools they need to make their own art, and seeing the results of that, to be every bit as satisfying as I do when I’m making my own.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
One of my primary interests is still life photography.

Throughout my adult life, I’ve been a collector of objects. Almost all of the things I have collected over the last 30+ years were discarded by others or are remains of life from the natural world. Each object, be it man-made or natural, has a story. Their stories are rich and varied. Some scream it out, others are barely a whisper. All want to be heard.

I follow my intuition and listen to those stories as I arrange all the pieces. While the final placement of each object is deliberate, the choosing of what to pair together is much more organic. My job is to gather them together and give them a stage. Sometimes I create setups that are classic still life, emphasizing the light. But more often I combine things that make the viewer pause and ask, how do these things fit together?

When I’m not arranging and shooting still life I enjoy nature and abandoned places. Nature for the sheer mystery of how it all came to be. Abandoned places for the history, either factual or the narrative my imagination creates.

In my creative process, I combine the digital and organic art worlds. So often times I overlay and composite hand-painted textures with the digital images. This allows me to take both painting and photography to a different place. Places that are grounded in reality but reach ever so subtly for other worlds.

How do you think about happiness?
I’m very blessed that I get to earn my way in the world in a creative field. I love to learn, I love to create and I love to show other people how to do it on their own. It doesn’t matter what it is. The end result doesn’t matter. Just the act of doing one of those three things is so satisfying.

I’m also very blessed that I have a husband (Craig) who supports me every step of the way.

All that makes me happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mdragonart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdragon_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mdragonart/