We had the good fortune of connecting with Micheline Abounassar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Micheline, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
“ARTIST AUTHOR: INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN’S GENIUS WORK”

MICHELINE’S WORK: ART & BOOKS: ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS IS MAKING AN IMPACT ACROSS AMERICA & WORLDWIDE:
I arrived in America on the eve of Halloween in 1990. This is my story:
I’m also currently & always working on more new projects: innovative products, original handmade ideas: including more paintings & portraits for Celebrities and Charities & more children’s books & books to be published soon, etc. Including also my new books coming soon: about mourning doves & Mary of Nazareth and the Holy Family, etc.
Born on August 29 around midnight in Lebanon in 1980, Micheline Abounassar, an establishment in Glendale for over 25 years. Working with a giving heart & caring talented hands: as a self-taught, self-made premiere artist author woman. Creating somethings from nothing: I self-funded & founded my company Micha’s Gallery International in 2006: working in different jobs as accounting, real estate & construction assistant, loan processing, etc.. Inspired also by my grandpa & who was a smart real estate investor that became a millionaire with hard work..
From a young age till date, with consistency & passion, I spend most of my time, years, working on my Artist Magic in my small Glendale studio gallery room. I have created dozens of innovative original art ideas products & books, with always more to come.
My works include: handmade original oil paintings & portraits of people & pets, landscapes, seascapes, still life’s, children’s books & books, etc.: have appeared in many renowned: magazines, newspapers, TV shows, with an accumulated long list of admirers, collected by Hollywood Notables.
Working from photographs or just my imagination: people tell me that they love my detailed portraits that can look like 3D photographs or works of old masters.
I have also taught fine art classes & drawing.
With my artworks live art auctions: i’m invited also to several renowned charitable organizations with Celebrities events. I love helping Charities with donations that come from sales of my work.
Using my imagination & putting images on canvas, with extreme passion & research.
EDUCATION & CHILD PRODIGY
My art story began with a spiritual vision when I was 5 years old in Lebanon, where I won first place in schoolwide art contest. As i was sitting at my grandparents’ dining room table, I drew a drawing entitled “Message of Love!” A nun was going to Church to pray on one side of the paper & a group of kids were throwing trash running around a pool. The drawing was Juxtaposition between good & bad.
I made a prayer cove & collected $1,500 to help the disabled when i was seven years old.
At 8 years old, after spending few months in Nazareth, my family & I settled on the Greek island of Cyprus to escape the war in Lebanon. It was on this island that I used painting & drawing as a coping mechanism to relieve the stress of having to leave my war-torn-country. “Some of these characters were depicted singing, dancing having a good time. The characters kept me company & made me forget about the war!” some of these drawings I sold to neighbors. My neighborhood art business inspired me as a young artist to explore entrepreneurship.
On the eve of Halloween in 1990, my family & I arrived in America. After learning teaching myself the English language fluently as an astute student, my story inspiring as an epitome for immigrants & all: as a smart shy nerd, I received many honors & awards from Presidents as Bill Clinton: in my elementary, junior high school, College, & University.
Around age 17, I painted Jesus & Mona Lisa in High School. I also wrote children’s stories in College that my professor loved & distributed to the class.
My Professors often kept my art & writing projects as an example to other incoming students.
I was awarded a scholarship to Otis College of Art & Design by my HS teacher.
Receiving my AA degree from GCC in 2004, & completing my BA degree in 2021: in Management Entrepreneurship from NCU. I love receiving A grades on my research papers & studying.
I was elected Miss Lebanon Asia USA 2007: where i was also featured in the spotlight in magazines & on tv to millions of viewers worldwide.  I also received awards for having attended the most charity events: to help Veterans at Veterans Hospital, Kids & Cancer Patients at City of Hope, meeting also renowned hollywood Celebrities & Jewelry designers in Beverly Hills, etc.
Although life is not a smooth road, with challenges along the way, I believe that with Faith, Hope, Love, hard work, consistency, determination, etc: Life’s Obstacles/Challenges can be mostly overcome.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe that everyone has a special Gift given by God in order to help each other on earth. We must nuture and water that gift in order to grow. I feel that what sets me apart is also my gifts: which include my original unique Art drawings and oil paintings/portraits & my Books writings, etc. I love what i do, humbly excited proud about this. I believe that i got to where i am today professionaly by the help of God & everyone that has helped and inspired me in life. I want to leave my mark in the world by doing my good deeds in helping humanity: people & animals charities with proceeds that come from sales of my work. please read my full story here for more, Thank You. with my Best Wishes to All.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take my friend that is visiting to Disneyland, Museums, Aquariums, the Zoo, to the Mountains, to artistic Restaurants, to Americana, to the Beach: Malibu, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica Pier, etc.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Thanks to God & Everyone for their kind support & inspiration!

Website: www.MichasGallery.com

Instagram: instagram.com/michasgallery

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/michelineabounassar

Twitter: twitter.com/michasgallery

Facebook: facebook.com/artist.micha

Yelp: yelp.com/biz/michas-gallery-international-glendale

Youtube: youtube.com/michasgallery

Other: tiktok.com/@michasgallery

Image Credits
Micheline Abounassar …

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