CV
PAINTINGS / ILLUSTRATION / SPECIAL MAKE-UP / MODEL MAKING
Artist specialising in Oil Paintings
Exhibiting Originals and prints at;
The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts
&
Kotare Gallery Greytown
Retail Assistant
January 2022 - present day
Citta Design store
Gallery Assistant/Operator/resident artist
March - Oct 2020
Pamela Jane Galleries Wellington
Guest lecturer
2019
Massey University Wellington - Creative Media Production
Scientific Illustration
2001 - 2019
Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand
NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)
DOC ( Department of Conservation)
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
Film and Television
2001 “Tortoise v Hare” FF
Painting supervisor modelmaking
1998 “Chicken Run” FF
Key painter
1997 “Saving Private Ryan” FF
Art finish and hair punching
For Gorton and Painter FX
1997 “Lost in Space” FF
Costume Fabrication, inc. foam latex and silicone
For Vin Burnham at Jim Hensons Creature Shop and Shepperton Studios
Sculpting assistant on “Spider Smith”
At Jim Hensons Creature Shop
1996 “Event Horizon” FF
Costume Fabrication and Art finish
At FBFX
1996 “Buddy” FF
Hair punching on Gorilla skins
At Jim Hensons Creature Shop
1996 “The Fifth Element” FF
Creatures, art finish, inc. foam latex and silicone skin production
For Nick Dudman at Pinewood Studios
1995 Soup Commercial for Belgian TV
Full body prosthetics application and Make-up assistant
For Artem, on location in Brussels
1995 “101 Dalmatians” FF
Creatures assistant and mould making
At Jim Hensons Creature Shop
1995 “Fierce Creatures” FF
Body casting, mould making and foam latex
At Asylum models and FX
1994 “Judge Dredd” FF
Make-up / prosthetics trainee
For Nick Dudman at Shepperton Studios
1986 "Willow" FF
Foam Latex Laboratory Assistant
For Nick Dudman
____________
Miscellaneous
Remake of “Yoda” and “Chewbacca” from “Star Wars”
For the MOMI museum in New York
Chimp Head for Animal Ark prop shop
Resident artist at the Greenwood Centre
(environmental exhibition centre)
Stained Glass Artist for Glasswork
Props for window and interior displays
For Elemental Designs
References
To Whom it may Concern – Michelle Freeborn
10 July 2013-07-10
Michelle joined the Fishes Team of the Museum of New Zealand as a scientific illustrator in 2001, replacing the former illustrator who had moved to another position. When she arrived for the interview she had bought a sketch of a fish (scarpie: Helicolenus percoides) she’d bought as an example of her skills. It was very obvious that she has identified and captured the essence of a difficult species very clearly.
Over the next month Michelle rapidly acquired the skills to produce ‘traditional’ head facing left lateral views of fishes rendered in black and white using stippling to gain the patterns and sense of depth. Species she has tackled have ranged from a 3 metre 400 kg sleeper shark to the tiny 15 mm pygmy sleeper. In many cases she is able to go from a blank sheet to the finished drawing in a single day.
With growing confidence Michelle has started to observe characters and morphologies which had escaped even the experts. In some cases we have had to revise our identifications.
Her portfolio now runs to over one-thousand drawings many of which have been used in publications to describe new species; most of which will be appearing in an up-coming two-thousand page multi-volume publication on the fishes of the New Zealand EEZ.
Other uses in the Museum have been drawings for the ‘Wings’ Exhibition.
We are the envy of many of our colleagues having as part of our team someone as gifted and able as Michelle, and I can highly recommend her talents to anyone seeking a fast, efficient, observant illustrator.
Andrew Stewart
Former Collection Manager Te Papa: Fishes
Collection Manager Te Papa: Science
10 July 2013-07-10
Michelle joined the Fishes Team of the Museum of New Zealand as a scientific illustrator in 2001, replacing the former illustrator who had moved to another position. When she arrived for the interview she had bought a sketch of a fish (scarpie: Helicolenus percoides) she’d bought as an example of her skills. It was very obvious that she has identified and captured the essence of a difficult species very clearly.
Over the next month Michelle rapidly acquired the skills to produce ‘traditional’ head facing left lateral views of fishes rendered in black and white using stippling to gain the patterns and sense of depth. Species she has tackled have ranged from a 3 metre 400 kg sleeper shark to the tiny 15 mm pygmy sleeper. In many cases she is able to go from a blank sheet to the finished drawing in a single day.
With growing confidence Michelle has started to observe characters and morphologies which had escaped even the experts. In some cases we have had to revise our identifications.
Her portfolio now runs to over one-thousand drawings many of which have been used in publications to describe new species; most of which will be appearing in an up-coming two-thousand page multi-volume publication on the fishes of the New Zealand EEZ.
Other uses in the Museum have been drawings for the ‘Wings’ Exhibition.
We are the envy of many of our colleagues having as part of our team someone as gifted and able as Michelle, and I can highly recommend her talents to anyone seeking a fast, efficient, observant illustrator.
Andrew Stewart
Former Collection Manager Te Papa: Fishes
Collection Manager Te Papa: Science
To Whom It May Concern:
Having been asked to provide a reference for Michelle Freeborn and her artistic services, I can say that I recommend her and them unreservedly.
Michelle worked with me for several years to produce scientific drawings of fishes for publication. In total, she illustrated descriptions of 34 species, including 83 drawings. These included not only fully detailed lateral views, but also drawings of anatomical details and internal structures after dissection. In all cases, Michelle made every effort to get the drawings "exactly right". This included frequent use of a microscope and consultation with me.
She is efficient, patient (important when a drawing must be repeatedly revised to get it perfect), precise, and a pleasure to work with. Furthermore, she is a quick study - fish anatomy is an exacting discipline, and requires that the artist understand what is being drawn and its function, so that it can be properly rendered. Once the function of an anatomical feature has been explained to Michelle, she applies that knowledge to future drawings. I think that she has a very good grasp of fish anatomy now, and her drawings show it.
If you wish a confidential recommendation, I would be pleased to provide one. I can be contacted directly by e-mail at david.stein@oregonstate.edu.
Dr. David Stein
Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife
Nash Hall 104
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR, 97331 USA
Having been asked to provide a reference for Michelle Freeborn and her artistic services, I can say that I recommend her and them unreservedly.
Michelle worked with me for several years to produce scientific drawings of fishes for publication. In total, she illustrated descriptions of 34 species, including 83 drawings. These included not only fully detailed lateral views, but also drawings of anatomical details and internal structures after dissection. In all cases, Michelle made every effort to get the drawings "exactly right". This included frequent use of a microscope and consultation with me.
She is efficient, patient (important when a drawing must be repeatedly revised to get it perfect), precise, and a pleasure to work with. Furthermore, she is a quick study - fish anatomy is an exacting discipline, and requires that the artist understand what is being drawn and its function, so that it can be properly rendered. Once the function of an anatomical feature has been explained to Michelle, she applies that knowledge to future drawings. I think that she has a very good grasp of fish anatomy now, and her drawings show it.
If you wish a confidential recommendation, I would be pleased to provide one. I can be contacted directly by e-mail at david.stein@oregonstate.edu.
Dr. David Stein
Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife
Nash Hall 104
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR, 97331 USA
Reference for: Michelle Freeborn, scientific illustrator
From: Peter McMillan, NIWA, Private Bag 14-901, Wellington 6241, HYPERLINK "mailto:p.mcmillan@niwa.co.nz" p.mcmillan@niwa.co.nz
Date: 26 Nov 2009
Michelle has prepared at least 20 line drawings of macrourids (rattails, grenadiers) including lateral views of the whole fish, plus other more detailed drawings of the head and underside of the head and body, and drawings for identification keys for a draft chapter in a book on New Zealand fishes. She has recently prepared three excellent line drawings for a paper describing two new macrourid species (McMillan, P.; Iwamoto, T. (2009). Two New Species of Coelorinchus (Teleostei, Gadiformes, Macrouridae) from the Tasman Sea. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, ser. 4, 60(4): 37–49).
Michelle has a very pleasant and easy-going personality and communicates well with people. She is a fast and focused worker. She takes care to make sure the illustration is accurate but is also good at accommodating people's requests for emphasizing features of importance or for altering the draft. The resulting illustrations are very good and I am pleased to have them in any paper that I have produced.
AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM
As a contributing author to the Fishes of New Zealand book project I have collaborated with Michelle for three years as she has illustrated fishes for the book, and dozens of species for which I am writing accounts. Without hesitation her attention to detail has been superlative. She has established a thorough knowledge of fish anatomy to make the most of imperfect preserved specimens and the results are outstanding examples of line drawings. Michelle has been a pleasure to work with – a true collaborator that clarifies any uncertainties before final inking, and accepts suggested changes without hesitation. As a line artist myself, I have the highest regard for her artistic skills while retaining the scientific accuracy required for such a project.
Tom Trnski, Ph.D. | Head of Natural Sciences | Auckland War Memorial Museum | Tamaki Paenga Hira | The Domain, Private Bag 92018, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142, New Zealand | www.aucklandmuseum.com | M | P +64 9 306 7097 | F +64 9 379 9956 | E ttrnski@aucklandmuseum.com
Tom Trnski, Ph.D. | Head of Natural Sciences | Auckland War Memorial Museum | Tamaki Paenga Hira | The Domain, Private Bag 92018, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142, New Zealand | www.aucklandmuseum.com | M | P +64 9 306 7097 | F +64 9 379 9956 | E ttrnski@aucklandmuseum.com
Note of thanks from Jeffrey Katzenberg film producer and CEO of DreamWorks Animation
