Chanel grew up in northern Minnesota in a lush green rural area in the summer and beautiful northern lights and glistening snow in the winter, which influences the content of her art today. She grew up in a family who loved the arts and a mom who
included her in her work as an interior designer at the early age of five. She
would learn about composition, design, color, and later became her mom’s art and color expert for their clients. During a brief period of homelessness, she realized how important inspirational art and environments were, so she began to learn to paint and started receiving commissions to paint art while still in high school. Chanel obtained a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning where she researched problem solving by interviewing artists who were also working in health and education (who had also experienced trauma). She completed the Mastery Program through the Milan Art Institute. She also obtained a master’s in communication where she studied the experiences of the arts, in addition to studying art with a study abroad arts and humanities tour in Europe.