Michael is an international award winning pastel artist from New Zealand. He has had a fascination with realism since childhood and in his paintings he is always striving to create images that have greater depth and feeling than can be achieved with a photograph.
Michael is in an Eminent Pastelist of IAPS (IAPS-EP), is a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Society of America (PSA-MP),a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Artists of New Zealand (MPANZ), a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Society of Australia (MPSA), and has a Master of Fine Arts degree (University of Illinois, USA)
Michael went to Elam School of Fine Arts (University of Auckland) to be a painter and left a product designer. However after a successful design career in 2010 he decided to return to his passion for painting. Starting initially with acrylics, before discovering the wonderful medium of pastel – which suits his hyperrealistic style and love of detail.
Michael’s subjects range from his current series of still life paintings featuring iconic New Zealand toys and objects, through - landscapes featuring old weathered sheds, barns, railway carriages, windows and doors, old locks, and farm animals (mainly cows) – all inspired from photographic trips along New Zealand's roads.
Michael has been exhibiting his work regularly both in New Zealand and internationally since 2015, and has had articles and his pastel paintings published in many leading art magazines, including: Pratique Des Arts Hors Serie Pastel (Feature Article) 2021, Pastel Journal, Spring Issues 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021, 2019 (Feature Article A Realistic Approach), Pastel….a Celebration II IAPS 2024 Convention, International Realism 17th International Arc Salon 2024, International Realism 16th International Arc Salon 2022 International Realism 15th International Arc Salon 2020, Colored Pencil Magazine November 2023 Issue (Cover and Feature Article), 2024 Issue, 2021 Issue, The 36th Korean Pastel Artists Association International Exhibition, 2022, Pastel World 2022, Zhuhai Xiangzhou Pastel Alliance 2022 Pastel World China.
.
Eminent Pastelist IAPS
|
|
|
|
Mastrius Master Artist Master Pastelist
Pastel Society of Australia
Pastel Society of Australia