Michelle Larsen is the originator of 3D Paper Sculpted Canvas Painting—a distinctive art form that transforms the traditional flat canvas into a powerful sculptural experience. Using hand-sculpted paper and oil paint, her works physically extend up to six inches from the surface, blurring the line between painting and sculpture.
Each piece is built by hand, layer by layer, creating bold relief forms that project outward and engage light, shadow, and space. The result is artwork that does more than hang on the wall—it reaches into the room.
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Larsen’s work has been exhibited internationally, including New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Dallas, and France, and has received recognition for its originality and dimensional innovation.
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Michelle Larsen is a visionary mixed-media artist who harnesses the power of paper to sculpt intricate, three-dimensional masterpieces on canvas. Her innovative technique combines sculpted paper and oil paint to create paintings that boldly extend up to six inches from the surface. Recognized for her originality, Larsen has earned prestigious awards and exhibited her work in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Dallas, and France.
3D Paper Sculpted Paintings
The Process
Each piece begins with the careful layering, shaping, and sculpting of tissue paper onto canvas using gel medium. As the layers build, the surface gradually transforms into a solid, dimensional structure. Once cured, the sculpted forms become hard to the touch, rigid, and remarkably sturdy, forming a stable relief surface rather than a fragile paper construction.
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After the sculptural foundation is fully set, oil paint is applied to enhance depth, movement, and dimensional presence. The finished works are archival in nature, designed for long-term stability and preservation, with materials chosen for durability and longevity.
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Larsen’s subjects draw inspiration from the natural world—its creatures, landscapes, and the resilience of the human spirit. The work invites viewers to slow down, engage physically with the surface, and reconnect with a sense of presence and authenticity.
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Photo; Michelle Larsen Studios, (bear standing, 48x60 inches work in progress) December, 2025
Biography
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Michelle Larsen studied at the Rocky Mountain School of Art and Design in Denver, Colorado. She began her career as a billboard artist and sign painter, specializing in hand-lettered script executed with a quill brush—an early foundation in precision, scale, and physical mark-making.
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As traditional sign painting gave way to vinyl and digital processes, Larsen shifted her creative direction. That transition ultimately led her to develop a self-invented technique: sculpting paper directly onto canvas to construct dimensional forms before applying oil paint.
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This evolution marked a turning point in her practice—moving beyond surface imagery into fully realized relief works that occupy physical space and demand a visceral response.
Artist Statement​
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I am the sole artist to develop and practice a sculpted paper painting technique that transforms canvas into a three-dimensional surface. My work exists at the intersection of painting and sculpture—where form, movement, and emotion converge.
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Using hand-sculpted tissue paper applied directly to canvas, I construct raised compositions that physically extend outward, some reaching up to six inches in depth. Once the sculptural structure is complete, I apply oil paint to activate the surface with color, texture, and energy. Every stage of the process is manual, tactile, and deliberate.
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My goal is to create work that doesn’t simply hang on a wall—it reaches out. I want the viewer to feel the piece before fully understanding it, experiencing depth through shadow and light, motion through stillness.
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Through this process, I aim to challenge the limits of traditional two-dimensional painting and offer a new visual language—one that carries sculptural presence, emotional intensity, and physical impact.
WHAT COLLECTORS & CRITICS ARE SAYING
​"Michelle's art made me tear-up because of the emotion and the pure amazement of her talent."
Birdie Hathaway, 2020
"Innovative and passionate, Michelle Larsen uses paper to create sculpted 3D canvases. A technique she invented herself. Brimming with enthusiasm, her work exhibits the fluidity of her thoughts and practices in using her breath as a guide for her creative direction quite literally."
ArtTour International Magazine, 2019
"Beautiful and unique paintings, each of which conveys great depth of emotion. Amazing technique and skill in creating a detailed relief sculpture on the canvas, which comes alive when painted. Nice variety of subject matter as well."
A. Pasko, 2019
"Beautiful and unique. I want one of Michelle's paintings in my home someday."
M. Daniele, 2019
"So creative and unique! Michelle's story is inspiring."
James & Sara, 2019