| Education
Although not formally trained he doesn't fully accept the idea of 'self taught' having gained much from workshops, books and articles written by other artists. These include John Howard Sanden, Greg Kreutz, Kevin Macpherson and Richard Schmid. Endeavoring to maintain a 'healthy dissatisfaction' with his work he continually strives to improve thru an attitude of continual learning.
A few of his favorite historical artists include the Impressionists, John Singer Seargent, William Merritt Chase and Georgia O'Keefe.
Mediums, Subject Matter and Style
Michael's favorite medium is oil, though he also works in pen and ink, pencil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor. A favorite is doing plein air paintings capturing the diversity of Texas, but he also exhibits skill and interest in portraiture, still life, genre, seascapes, and the human figure. Traditional to slightly impressionistic methods and style seem to suit his tastes best but he also enjoys 'stretching' and working with nonpictorial images of color and pure design.
Artist's Statement
"The visual arts, like the other arts are able to add immensely to our quality of life. For me the paintings and drawings I do are a way to explore and share life and the world around me, whether it's the beauty of flowers, a sweeping landscape or an intimate look at something less noticed. For the viewer I would hope to evoke a good emotion, stir a pleasant memory or perhaps tell a story. If the viewer is drawn to a piece and experiences that slightly mysterious sense of wonder and enjoyment when they view it and their life is enriched I feel that my art accomplishes it's purpose.
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