this artist is known for his paintings of heavily warn farm buildings. For his food paintings I enjoy his cupcakes the most. In his landscapes he incorporates tar right along side the oil paints. When he first started as a professional artist he painted the farm scape as it appeared in the country. He continues to paint the farm, but in different locations such as before a big wave breaks.
The artist was born in 1955 in Los Angeles, California.
low price range: $1500
high price range: $20,000
surfaces used: panel and canvas
mediums used: oils and tar
On line and land based galleries: Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City. http://www.nancyhoffmangallery.com/artist/display/17/Michael-Gregory
Gail Severn Gallery in Ketchum, Idaho. http://www.gailseverngallery.com/index.php/component/gailsevern/view/artist/id/756
Attended college at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. He went on to become a professor at the Academy as well.
In some landscapes dealing with the farm, hardly any color is used. The pictures are something you might expect Ansel Adams to paint. He makes the viewer see beauty in something that has seen its best days as far as fresh paint and straight non weathered wood.
The artist also paints tulips. Most of the pieces I have included in the gallery are 12 by 8 inches. So simple, yet brilliant in their contrast of dark background vs. light or in some cases white colors.
The artist has found what he loves to paint tulips and farm scenes. I hope he does a series featuring wedding cakes or more cupcakes. From a design standpoint I enjoy his compositions in the flowers the most. Similar to Robert Kushner who NEVER painted a horizon line, concentrating on the upward movement and growth of the flower.
He was influenced by the great Flemish painter Pieter the Elder Bruegel. Brugel lived back in the 1500s and did awesome paintings dealing with large crowds of people sometimes working, sometimes playing in the fields they worked, sometimes dancing. Bruegel was a true master at composition of large groups.
On some of the large paintings of farms the artist paints very large, 72 inches by 60 inches in most cases. I love the farm paintings even more than the food paintings because the farms have a sense of timelessness to the them. Its the feeling I get when visiting my grandparents farm in Montana. Very peaceful and full of memories and nostalgia. Playing in the dirt, chasing rabbits, even waiting 10 minutes for the weather to change.
For todays homework please go and take a close up picture of a tulip! Its truly their time of year now! Just pick one and pretend you are a master Dutch painter and try to paint a convincing portrait of the tulip.
Happy painting!
D
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