Layered Paintings by Michelle Jader Michelle Jader originally from Minnesota, is a figurative artist based in San Francisco. Michelle worked for nearly 10 years as a marketing consultant before following her heart and earning an MFA in fine art painting from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. My work explores moments when we willingly and unwillingly dive into the next phase of our life. Whether it’s moving to a new city, starting or ending a relationship, having a baby, or quitting a job, these moments of endings and beginnings are alternately terrifying and exhilarating. Ready or not, we jump, fall or are pushed, and our lives change. Transitions like these include the sense of falling, lack of control, and the feeling that anything is possible. We’re vulnerable in these moments and despite our best efforts, our actions seem to be more public than other times in our lives. To capture these feelings, I paint a series of images on semi-transparent, ac