Artist & Reiki Master.
Albert Einstein concluded that, “Everything is Energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. this is not philosophy. This is physics.” I never imagined that I would venture into the realm of energy, but over my lifetime as an artist, art therapist, Reiki energy practitioner, and collaborating with horses, I’ve come to understand the language of energy and communicate it through art, Reiki, animal communication, and intuitive messages to guide others in living their authentic self.
Helen Michaels is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
I grew up nurturing my soul with art, nature, and animals, especially horses, in the sunny, coastal landscape of North Carolina. Determined to be an artist, I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at East Carolina University in NC and moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota to work as a graphic designer and art director shortly afterwards.
Experiencing a dark night of the soul in my late twenties, I used art to communicate my emotional and spiritual pain so effectively that I decided to assist others by becoming an art therapist. After earning my master’s degree at St. Mary’s University, I began what turned out to be a 20+ year career working with adults experiencing mental illness. During these years, I studied energy healing (including Reiki), intuitive development, and reclaimed my passion for horses by riding once again.
At crossroads in 2012, I sought spiritual guidance via horse coaching after reading The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov. Encountering the sentience of horses was profound and life changing. Healing mistrust and suddenly being able to “hear” a horse speak to me kicked open a whole new relationship with the invisible world of spirit. When the horse farm owner invited me to visit anytime, I accepted, visiting weekly on Sunday afternoons. Eventually, Spirit guided me to study Holy Fire Reiki® and animal communication with Canadian Reiki Master Pamela Allen LeBlanc, who has a herd of Reiki horses, enhanced her connection with the herd.
As I developed an intrinsic relationship with the herd, I began collaborating with them, offering “equine encounters” to people called to receive guidance from the healing horses. Through my Reiki training, I started feeling in tune with their healing powers and wanted to share their energy through my artwork. These desires led me to seek out Canadian equine artist Diane Williams, who taught me the plein air techniques of focusing on light, using a limited palette, and layering paint to emphasize the healing spirit of the horse.
Inspired by Williams’ approach to painting and inspiration from the French impressionists, I honed my artistic style. I leaned into Williams’ idea of “contemporary impressionism” while maintaining and honoring the physical form of the horse. To channel both my and the animal’s spiritual energies through her art, I imbue each horse’s portrait with Holy Fire® Reiki and paint healing Reiki symbols on the back of each piece to amplify their healing powers.
Besides my painting collaborations with the “healing herd,” I have also published my artwork on multiple platforms, including book covers, in-book illustrations, puzzles, gift bags, and even a complete set of oracle cards, entitled “Audacious Action Angel Oracle Deck.” I am also a successful pet portrait artist and strives to capture the unconditional love a pet owner feels through animal companionship.
I currently work from her studio in St. Paul, Minnesota. Through my art and energy work, I endeavor to “create pieces that make the powerful, healing horses and their spiritual gifts available to those who can’t come to them along with awakening pet owners to a new level of their pet’s spiritual nature. My artwork is a contribution to making this important aspect of living multi-dimensionally as we are intended to do but may not be fully awakened to as yet.” I hope to open new realms of possibilities in others that they have yet to know or acknowledge.
Please contact me directly for painting commissions or to inquire about purchasing print(s) of the “The Healing Herd” paintings.
Helen Michaels visiting the Healing Horses in their natural home space on a Minnesota winter day.