Photo by Madeline Harris
About the Artist
Michelle Lee Provençal
Michelle is a graduate of Pratt Institute, where she earned a degree in Industrial Design. For more than two decades, she has worked as a product designer for leading home brands, collaborating with artisans around the world and developing a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and material storytelling.
In 2016, she returned to her native New England and the Maine coast where her family roots run deep. Her connection to this shoreline and it’s ever changing tidal landscapes continue to inspire her design work.
In 2017, she launched Thirdlee & Co. as a home for her newly developed needle-felted designs. Since then, the studio has evolved to include a broader collection of original decorative designs, created in collaboration with New England–based creatives and skilled craftspeople.
Based on Maine’s southern coast, Michelle continues to work as a freelance designer while also teaching workshops, sharing her love of needle felting.
About the Name
“I am the third generation of ‘follow your passion’ Lees. My grandfather Bob Lee was a commercial artist, carpenter, and pilot. When I was a little girl he showed me the magic of turning two square shapes into a 3D box by simply connecting points with a few lines and how a series of ellipses could easily become Mickey Mouses face. I was immediately hooked. My mother Roberta Lee was also a talented artist who instead followed her passion for science and became a beloved mentor to many throughout her career as a lab director. She gave me Lee as my middle name and showed me the way to turn my passion for art & design into a career. Thirdlee represents the namesake along with the drive and imagination that has followed the same line.”
INSPIRATION
My family connection to Biddeford, Maine is my biggest inspiration. I am one of the lucky ones to have spent my childhood summers on the sand bars and rocky beaches of this part of the Maine coast. It’s a place I have returned to for comfort and connection over the years and am very lucky to now call home.