Michelle Haynes - The Estella SheShop

As a creator of kinetic sculptures and suncatchers, I transform repurposed materials into outdoor art that dances with light and movement. Named after my adventurous and innovative great-great-grandmother, Estella, my “she shop” is where discarded objects find new life and purpose.

My work combines creative problem-solving with artistic vision. Each piece presents a unique puzzle — balancing elements, creating motion, and elegantly connecting disparate materials. Inspired by Alexander Calder’s mobiles, my sculptures reveal themselves differently as they interact with their surroundings.

I enjoy the artistic journey as repurposed items become more than the sum of their dismissed parts. They capture memories and reorder themselves in new combinations of color and movement. It’s satisfying to combine items that wouldn’t normally be together, like a wrench from the 1920s, scattered beads, and bottle caps from a birthday party. They all came from unrelated moments in time, yet now they’re combined in this moment.

While my art could hang anywhere, I envision it interacting with the elements. It wants to be shined on, rained on, and blown around. The pieces invite viewers to pause and experience a mindful moment with the natural world.

Beyond creating, I teach the Garden Charms workshops at the CACB and in my SheShop in Whitewright, TX. I guide students from the initial excitement about their collected materials, through the challenge of combining them, and into the satisfaction of completed works. When I’m not making art, I work as a content writer for high-tech industries. Tech writer by profession, junk whisperer by passion, turning forgotten objects into art that dances.

See more of Michelle’s work and connect with her:

Website: estellasheshop.com

Email: [email protected]