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Be sure to check out Michael's mural up close at the entrance to The Events Center.
How did you first get into doing art?
some of them not. I don’t think there’s any
What’s your favorite medium to work in?
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t do it. I
surrealist painter who can’t acknowledge
Honestly, almost all my work is acrylic paints on
remember Patrick Woodruff said this great
what Salvador Dali did, in terms of making
Masonite. Good old-fashioned pencil on paper
quote: “Everyone’s born an artist.” Throughout
people aware of surrealist art. I think most
might be still my favorite, in terms of the raw
the process of growing up, you get bribed into
people in my generation, that’s probably
immediacy. Most of my concepts are still just
putting these childish things behind and you
some of their first exposure to that type
sketching with a number two mechanical pencil.
get a little more responsibility, you get a car,
of work. Less obvious, but Caravaggio, an
you get an allowance, you stop playing with
Italian late Renaissance painter, is one of my
How long have you been painting murals?
toys and you stop drawing. You stop doing all
absolute favorite artists. His work is nothing
The first mural I did was the “Catnap” mural in
these things. And for whatever reason, artists
like mine—really dark shadows and really
Carlsbad in 2012, so I’ve been painting murals
are the people who that particular set of social
emotional religious work. It’s really incredibly
for about four years. I’m actually looking to
pressures never really takes. I always liked that.
heavy heartbreakingly beautiful stuff. Every
paint two more in the beginning of this year.
time I saw his work, it just made me want to
One of them is going to be in a private residence
Who do you cite as one of the main influences
paint and made me really want to get better—
in San Diego, and the other one is yet-to-be
for your work?
to really understand paint and light in the way
determined. If I can get my expenses covered,
There’s a fair amount—some of them obvious,
that he did.
give me a wall and I’ll donate my time. #HARRAHSSOCAL