Gallery

Born in 1958, Mike grew up on Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas, an ethnic community of decedents from Poland, Croatia, Germany and Ireland among others. He attended catholic schools until college, where on scholarship he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Kansas. He has now spent the past two decades at an easel capturing life's 'moments' with spontaneous and bold brushstrokes. Having worked in several different mediums and experimenting with his style, it was in 1987 that today's signature look began to evolve. That year, the owner of JJ's, a local Kansas City bistro, asked Mike to display his pastels. However, it was a year later when he hung his acrylics, that JJ's and Mike knew there was a connection. One of fine food and fine art. This was Mike's first avenue to sell his work, and now fourteen years later JJ's still exclusively exhibits many of Mike's newest paintings.

Mike best describes his work as contemporary and impressionistic, a style that stems from his admiration not only from the impressionistic era and it's greats, Monet and Van Gogh, but also two of his other favorite artists, John Singer Sargent and Wayne Thiebaud. His focus and discipline for each piece is to create a composition that is strong and keeps the viewers eyes moving, never allowing the viewer to focus on just one spot. With the spontaneity that comes from letting the canvas serve as the palette, his love of color jumps from the canvas to create a look that brings a feeling of happiness. It's this color palette, he feels that take the ordinary visual to a level where he sees the world.

Mike is now a resident of Westwood, a nearby community of Kansas City, where each day the commute to his studio is just steps from his home. In his studio, a mix of music along with large picture windows to his garden helps create the atmosphere he desires for a day at the easel. His wife Cami is also his business partner. This partnership allows Mike to focus solely on painting, while she takes care of all business relating to clients and galleries.

As for the personal side; it's the simple things he enjoys...music, reading, cooking, friends, and his family. As for art, that's simple too. He believes that art is to be enjoyed by all and that art is simple. You either like it or you don't.

A FEW WORDS FROM THE ARTIST HIMSELF ....

"I am a painter. To paint, one must first draw and to draw one must see. Well, I see a lot and I draw a lot and then I paint a lot. The whole world is my inspiration. From nature to people to food & wine, to music to the simple objects around us that we take for granted. All is fair game. My work reflects the way I see this world around me. It?s happy and colorful, like me. So simply said, my art is ?me?. And with art, you either like it or you don?t. If I have to explain it; I have failed. I hope you like it."