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

A Blast From The Past

While searching on a VW site today I came across some pictures that someone had posted of a restoration I did years ago of a fire bus. It was an awesome project to work on and definitely the most unique VW that I fixed up.

I loved restoring these old classics but I love painting them even more!

VWs Are Part Of The Family

Around our house VWs aren't just something that Santiago paints - they are part of the family! We were so excited when Santiago traded his 1956 Ford Truck for this gorgeous blue single cab.  It made a great addition to our family pictures this year.

Update - A Post From Santiago

The experience here in Scottsdale at the Celebration of Fine Art has been nothing short of AMAZING. Truly an experience of a lifetime. I miss my family (especially my kids) and that has been the hardest part of the show, just having them so far away. Over the last year I have made the transition to being a full time artist. Up until this point I have been running my VW restoration business, another part time job on the side, and painting with every free second that I have (which often means I do not sleep). So many things have fallen into place and I wanted to share part of my evolution as an artist that has happened over the last 6 weeks since I arrived in Arizona.

I will always remain passionate about VWs and painting them but the dynamics of this show has opened up a lot of doors for me to not be constrained in my subject matter. I love everything vintage - motorcycles, trains, and any type of classic car but I have always loved painting figurative pieces first and fore most. And now I am painting all of these things that I love and that is really exciting!

Here are some of my new pieces. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! I will be enjoying this long holiday weekend with my family, but of course I will still be at the show every day if you are in Scottsdale and have a chance to stop by.

Das Auto Magazine - VW Owner Profile

It is always an honor to be featured in a magazine but especially when its a magazine exclusively for VW owners!

Volkswagen Owner Profile: The Artist

visit Das Auto to view the article

Meet Santiago Michalek, whose passions for painting and restoring his favorite old cars—Volkswagens—have merged.

Some artists fixate on certain subjects. Think Andy Warhol and the 32 Campbell’s Soup cans, or those haystacks Monet couldn’t leave alone.

Then there’s Santiago Michalek, a Provo, Utah, figurative painter in the style of Norman Rockwell, who less than two years ago started devoting his canvases to painting vintage Volkswagen Beetle and Bus models, and now has completed close to 100.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an obsession,” Michalek says, “but pretty close.”

An artist since he was a child growing up near Buenos Aires, Argentina, Michalek also has a garage where he restores vintage VW models. When the weather’s nice he leaves the door open, and two or three times a week when he’s under a Beetle with a wrench in his hand, somebody with a smile on their face stops by with a fond memory of camping with his or her grandfather in a VW Bus or taking a convertible Beetle to go surfing.

“I’ve heard so many stories about people and VWs,” says Michalek, who paints in oil. “Everybody has been in one or driven one. You look for a subject that is true to what is around you so that there is validity in your work. I realized VWs have, for me, been a great way to connect with people.”

About half of Michalek’s VW works are in private collections and he’s been accepted into prestigious galleries and shows such as the Springville Museum of Art and the Meyer Gallery in Park City, Utah. Clearly, these works resonate with people. The vintage works, “so simple but so versatile,” he says, especially seem to carry stories that can take people back in time.

“[The vehicles] were super affordable and functional,” Michalek says. “They won so many people over because of their affordability and their functionality. I just love them to death.”

Obsession? Maybe. But Michalek is far from alone.