It’s the journey, not the destination…a lifelong pursuit of painting has guided this artist’s expression goals. A native of New York City, over the past 30 years, Michael has studied at some of these notable art institutions: The Arts Student League in New York and The Summit Center for Visual Arts. He has also been tutored by a variety of private and professional instructors including, Everett Raymond Kinstler. He is a member of the Chatham Art League and the Portraits Society of America. He has had exhibits at the Lundt-Glover Gallery and the Chatham Borough Gallery and at the following Libraries: Morris County, Bernards Library, and Frelinghuysen Arboretum. In addition, he has exhibited at the Palmer Museum.
Michael focuses exclusively on oil painting, enjoying the inspiration from many of the old masters. When painting, inspiration is key. He looks for the strong contrasts and focuses on the center of attention. Michael establishes a basic outline and lets the creativity flow. The adventure of applying paint to a canvas provides the inspiration to the artist. He uses palette knives at key points in the painting in order to let the colors mix visually. He keeps the shadows cool and transparent but applies opaque highlights. He says, “The painting has to move the viewer.” Landscapes, Still Lifes, Portraits…He enjoys them all!
Michael’s Background:
Retired pharmaceutical executive – painting for 30 years
Paintings in several private collections
Education: NYU
Michael can be contacted at: mjjmartin@comcast.net.
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