Artist Statement
My painting efforts have developed from my architectural training and work. I drew buildings for a long time before I started painting them in watercolor, oil, and now gouache. For a long time, I painted what I call “renderings” – views of the front of single buildings; now I’m more interested in the context of buildings, the spaces in between, the side and rear views, and the landscape around them.
I find my hometown of Detroit a great place to paint – full of subjects that continuously strike me as fresh and unpainted. The challenge of selecting a view to paint, figuring out the optimal composition, and selectively but accurately replicating it is exciting. Of late, I’m intrigued with adding automobiles and/or people to my paintings.
Artist Bio
I was born in 1949 and grew up in Jackson Michigan. I graduated from Notre Dame in 1972 with a Bachelor of Architecture, which included studying in Rome for a year and a half.
In 1978, I started my own architectural practice in Detroit and developed a specialization in historic renovation, restaurant, and apartment projects. My architectural training and early years of practice preceded the use of computers and CAD drafting. Although almost all of my present work is now done using CAD, I miss the hand-drawing that I had grown to love. In recompense, I have made conscious efforts to communicate with my clients with informal sketches and more-finished renderings
Michael’s Work
