Artistic Excellence 2012 Competition

I was very honored to win 2nd place in the Artistic Excellence Competition this year and for the feature in the December issue of Southwest Art for my piece 'It's Time'. This piece is a self portrait and one of the most significant pieces I have painted thus far. It represents the point in my life where I knew it was time to close VW restoration business and pursue my art full-time.

Here is the article that was featured in the magazine:

What inspired your winning entry? I had a business restoring Volkswagen buses for about 10 years. That’s why I began painting them. Before that, I was pretty committed to painting the figure. Although I love painting my VW buses, I really wanted to create a painting that allowed me to return to my figurative roots. It was a simple idea that evolved into something much more. I had an image in my mind of what I wanted, and it made sense to use myself as a reference for the figure. As I painted it, I realized it was not only a self-portrait but also depicted one of the most defining moments of my life. The title, IT’S TIME, refers to the decision I made to take the leap and become a full-time painter. The act of standing in front of a canvas painting, and not in a car shop working nine to five, took the personal meaning of this painting to a level I had never expected.

Where did you study art? I attended the Bridge Academy of Art in Provo, UT, for several years. However, I consider myself to be a self-taught artist, since I knew how to paint when I arrived there. So, I studied art in museums, galleries, books, in artists’ studios, and in my own studio.

How would you describe your style? I work at keeping a pretty loose mark-making stroke, knowing that what I’m looking at is a very tight, angular subject. I feel that the push/pull or balance between those two concepts is the basis for my style.

What is one thing most people don’t know about you? I am a fierce fan of the Manchester United soccer team. I also built my own 1,200-square-foot studio. It took me nine months, and it was one of the most challenging tasks of my life.

What is your pet peeve? People chewing with their mouth open or talking with a mouthful of food.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? I would be unhappy. Or a marine biologist.

What are your goals for the future? To continually improve, to avoid complacency, to push myself every day, to someday create a work of art that makes a difference to someone. Oh, and to be a good dad.

What galleries represent your work?
Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT; Walt Horton Fine Art, Beaver Creek, CO.

www.santiagomichalek.com

Recent In Class Work

This is Santiago's most recent oil painting from his head drawing class with Justin Taylor. This was completed in three 3 hour drawing sessions.

In process after week 2

Final product

A Painting in a Day,... or two

I really wanted to start and finish an oil painting in one night. Sometimes a painting can take months - that's a good thing, and bad at the same time. I'm not really sure how to describe it, but sometimes when I'm painting I get so caught up in the colors, shapes, textures that I loose sight of what I'm painting. I don't see the face anymore, the buildings, the tree. I then need to step away and leave the painting for another time. On occasion some of the passion for the oil painting gets lost, making it hard for me to finish, extending the duration for a completed work of art even more.

The thought of starting something and finishing it in one night is quite refreshing. Perhaps the end product is not as refined as it could be however, it's the rough powerful brush strokes that make it interesting as well; more passionate in a way. Having said that, it also has a lot more flaws. Anyway here is a dirty faced little boy I painted in a day,... or two.