Retiring my Signature
At the stroke of midnight January 1st 2026,
I will be retiring my alias signature “Miche” and signing all future works with my full name. When I got back into painting in 2014, I made the decision to avoid using my name. I didn’t feel called to it, so I picked an alias to hopefully have that aura of mystery. I decided to use “Miche” because it was the beginning of my middle name Michelle. It was short and sweet. Fast forward to now as I’ve matured over the years, I’ve gradually been dropping the mask of the alias and proudly tying my full name to all my creative endeavors.
When I would converse with the many people I’ve met along my path, I didn’t introduce myself as my alias. I would confidently state my full name. Signing the name “Miche” all of a sudden didn’t feel like it fit me anymore like how it once did. Besides making art, I also picked writing back up and published two books using my full name. I now want to do the same for my artwork to keep everything cohesive. Whether I write or paint, all my creative works are an extension of me, Kelly Michelle Thomas. As I was having these feelings, I somehow came across another artist, that lives in the UK, who also signs her work with the name Miche and had been doing so a little before me. I took that as my sign. Although the names are signed very differently, I knew seeing that was my confirmation to retire the name.
Even though I feel bitter sweet about it, I’m excited to see the growth that continues to unfold in my journey. Miche got me through a lot of trivial times and I cherish every work that holds that name and if you have one of my originals, I hope you do too. The first painting of 2026 will debut my new signature and I’m excited yet, anxious for you to see it. Thank you for being with me all of these years.
