Painting in Freefall: Meet Michelle Nirumandrad

Dallas-based artist Michelle Nirumandrad painting while skydiving – Photo: Captured Sky

There are plenty of unique artists out there, but Michelle Nirumandrad is undoubtedly a trailblazer among them. Millions of people decide to skydive every year, but Michelle found out that it was more than just something exciting to do; it was the start of an illustrious career. But what exactly does Michelle Nirumandrad do that is so unique?

Believe it or not, she paints while she skydives. Michelle first focused on understanding every aspect of skydiving. She took the time and effort to understand body flight, gear knowledge, and any general practices that could help her create art safely while skydiving. Her canvases are even rigged with industrial strength Velcro straps that she wears on her arms and legs.

Michelle Nirumandrad – Photo: Captured Sky

The result is Captured Sky, where she seeks to “create impressions of the sky.” It’s a long way from a former pre-law student who previously envisioned herself in a white-collar career, but she couldn’t be happier. Her father had always told her that her “head was in the clouds,” and it looks like he had no idea how accurate that statement was!

Nirumandrad emphasizes that Captured Sky isn’t some gimmick; she genuinely views skydiving as a tool to draw out her best work. She creates abstract impressions of the sky, all while skydiving, and it’s taken a lot of practice to perfect the process from the first dive to making a career out of it. The real gift of all this work is the fact that she can claim a souvenir from the sky herself every time she jumps.

Michelle points out that ocean enthusiasts can collect shells and that you can examine the flora in a forest – but how do you capture your “own piece of the sky”? It looks like she has found the answer.