Statement
I believe the world we see is only one of many possibilities. I paint people, places, and events that exist at the intersection of the familiar and the unknown. Drawing upon history, myth, psychology, imagination, and lived experience, my paintings question accepted beliefs and preconceived views. Painting is a process of discovery through which I explore alternative possibilities for understanding reality and ourselves. My goal is to create images that invite viewers to reconsider assumptions about what is real and what might be possible.
My creative process begins with fragmentary, often random thoughts about something I have seen, heard, read, or felt. Sometimes I make a loose sketch to work out the composition, but more often I draw directly on the canvas and begin painting. As the work develops, I adjust the composition and colors in response to what emerges. Often, the painting itself suggests what needs to happen next. A painting is finished when it stops talking to me.
Bio
When he was 8 years old, Michael walked into the Arizona Desert, alone. He never came back. Everything was new and unexpected. Those experiences influenced his outlook on life and art. They taught him to look beyond the surface.
Michael was born in Wisconsin, spent his formative years in Tucson, Arizona, traveled and has lived abroad for eight years, and currently lives in Colorado. He has been oil painting since he was 12 years old. From his time in the desert, his paintings deliberately defy expectation and convention to express a vision that lies beyond appearances.
He has a BA in Wildlife Biology, an MFA in Painting, a PhD in Psychology. He studied small mammals, conducted AI research, taught Psychology, and art, and traveled and lived abroad. His artwork has been exhibited and collected across the United States and in Germany.