Streisand imitator turns to art

For 10 years, Michelle Monet thrilled audiences as Barbra Streisand in the Legends in Concert production.

The transformation didn't take much, just some makeup and glittery outfits. She had the mannerisms, voice inflections and the nasally pronunciation down pat. Reviewers raved, people claimed they couldn't tell her from the real star and even the diva herself used a clip of Monet on her HBO special.

So why did she stop impersonating Barbra in 1997?

Because Monet, a songwriter and lounge singer, was tired of being someone she wasn't -- always being "on" to please others.

"After I quit, I held a wig burning party with my friends," said the southwest resident. "And I got rid of the long fake nails. Now I can bite my nails again and play guitar."

Feeling free, Monet immersed herself in illustrating even though she'd never held a drawing pencil in her life. Just as she'd taught herself guitar, she was determined to teach herself to draw. She went out for coffee and ended up copying the menu, the salt shaker. She doodled at her apartment. She sketched photos from fashion magazines.

No one liked her early drawings. Not her family. Not her friends. They said she'd never make money as an artist. Monet didn't care. This time, she wasn't out to please anyone but herself.

When she got better she studied art books on the Masters.

"Picasso said 'Good artists copy art but great artists steal it,' " she said. "So I steal."

But the curator at The Louvre won't be wondering if the Monet hanging on his wall is the real Monet's or one signed by the Las Vegan. Let's just say Michelle Monet's work is, well, different.

She creates mixed media pieces ranging from greeting cards to 11-inch by 14-inch pictures. Hers are whimsical, sometimes delicate, sometimes sassy -- depending on her mood when she made them. All are unique, causing people to look twice.

A spiritual person, Monet said she is inspired to do her art because that's where she's supposed to be in life. She produces so many pieces, her little apartment is crammed with stacks of art. She estimates she has ...

"Seven thousand million, I have no clue," she said, looking around. "Some days I'm frenzied, producing things for three days. I don't change clothes. Don't take take a bath. And I don't care -- I'm having too much fun!"

Themes come to her in waves. There's the Africa series, the soft watercolor series, the spiritual quote series and clay people with miniature teacups imbedded in their heads.

"I love it when people can't classify my work," she said, chuckling.

She also has a 3-D "Vegas" line, a big seller at the dozen or so art fairs where she sells her work. Monet takes match books from favorite casinos and adds feathers, ribbon, maybe part of a business card, tiny dice or fanned playing cards that she created on her computer. Sometimes she draws a Erte-like showgirl in the background -- whatever strikes her fancy.

The "Vegas" series has been selling well, but Monet hopes no casino approaches her to mass produce them. That would be boring.

"And then I'd be back to doing the same thing over and over, like when I did Barbra," she said. "How many times can you sing 'People?' "

Actually, 932 times -- she counted. But her art, that's one-of-a-kind.

Monet's work can next be seen Saturday and Sunday at Hills Park, 9099 Hillpointe Road, in Summerlin. For more information call 255-6645 or go Online to www.celebrationoftheartsLV.com.