Daily Inspiration: Meet Michael Grant

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Grant.

Hi Michael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I remember my second grade teacher noting how I interpreted an assignment she had our class do. She set up a painting of a tree and another of an apple and had the class try and copy these images using crayons on white construction paper.

While the other kids did a scribbly red ball with a green protrusion on top for an apple, and a scribbly green rounded mass sitting on top of a thin brown verticle line for the tree, I just colored what I saw. The reference apple had a white window shaped reflection on the upper left corner and the red gradually became darker as it got farther away from the white reflection. The tree had a thick, sort of curved trunk with actual branches disappearing into a well defined crown while the image also bad a lighter and darker side, and seemed to have color variations and patterns. So, that is what I tried to re-create.

I must have done something right because the teacher made a big fuss over it and told me I had something called “talent”.

As a shy, chubby little kid from a very impoverished upbringing and accute self-esteem issues, this was a big ego boost. I felt for the first time, maybe I had something special that put me on an equal footing with the other kids.

As the years went by, I cherished this special “gift” and did my best to hone my skills however I could in an environment devoid of opportunities to benefit from more advanced or sophisticated art training. I just kept trying different mediums, experimenting with colors, textures, light and shadow to make my drawings and paintings look as much like the subjects I was trying to copy.

As I sought to become more exposed to the works of old masters, and contemporaries through books, magazines, television and whatever other visual influences I might stumble upon, my own style, as eccelectic as it is, began to develop.

I also enjoyed the physical, emotional, and mental act of creating art. I let experimentation and curiosity drive me, and in doing so I discovered a way to escape the daily stresses, zone out, and revel in the effort of trying work out the challenges of how to paint reflections in water, or add drama with light and shadow for example.

I liked the reference pictures a lot better than what everyone else seemed to be doing, so I did my best to emulate what I was seeing. I must have done something right because the teacher made a big fuss over it and told me I had something called “

My efforts to develop my skill led me to seek inspiration from images of works by the old masters, and contemporaries through books, magazines, television and whatever other visual influences I might stumble upon. I also began to pay attention to art wherever I came accross it, and really study how the artists used their own techniques to interpret the subects at hand. I began to pay attention to how the art made me feel and seek to understand what the artist was trying to say.

Through practice, and emulation, I began to develop my own style, as eccelectic as it is.
I took great pleasure in how the physical, emotional, and mental act of creating art took me away from everyday stresses. My experimentation and drive to continually improve offered exciting personal challenges and rewarded me with the satisfaction of solving problems, discovering new ways to “see”, and actually start making a little money by selling my paintings.

Over the years, I have applied my artistic abilities to carve out a living in the corporate environment while still maintaining my passion of creating art for art’s sake.

My corporate journey included furniture illustration, newspaper ad layout, and advertising management for a nine store furniture chain in Florida at 19 years old. I followed this with working as a landscape designer, freelance illustrator, and starting my own business providing spec ads for Bell Systems Yellow Pages across the country becoming the second largest company of its kind in the nation. As the Yellow Pages began to cease operations with contractors such as myself, and bring the graphics in-house, I managed to get hired on as a Yellow Pages Sales consultant, and eventually Sales Trainer until retirement.

Never putting down the paint brushes, I continue to this day to explore various mediums, and produce art including pet portraits, florals, landscapes, and beautiful old buildings. I am inspired by the amazing beauty I see in nature, birds and wildlife, fascinating architecture from my international travels, and places of special meaning to me as I wander through this life.

Always an early adopter of technology, I recognize both the benefits and pitfalls it presents to art and artists. Knowing tech is not going away, specifically AI, I have made it my focus to learn what I can and try to find new ways to apply it to my ongoing effort to improve my art, add to my repertoire, and just try to have fun with it.

This has led me to load photos of my paintings and drawings into various AI applications to bring my work to life through animation. I find these animated versions of my paintings create excitement and interest when I promote them on social media. I also apply various filters which often surprise me by giving entirely new and exciting looks to my art, which I then repaint the piece using the enhanced images as reference to create entirely new and often much improved results.

My philosophy on art vs. technology is rooted I the knowledge we have been through this before. When photography burst on the scene it was met with great trepidation by the art world. It did not go away, and became a respected art form in its own right. While I am against AI replacing artists and am appalled and even frightened that it can produce amazing images, logos, illustrations, in seconds with nothing but a basic idea from anyone. I have to accept that it is here to stay and is barely in its infancy, so I encourage fellow artists to find ways to apply technology not to replace your art, or discourage you into no longer creating , instead, find ways to make it work for you as another tool in your ensemble and try to have fun while doing so. For examples of my paintings and drawings, along with the same works animated or otherwise enhanced, please visit my Facebook profile at https://www.facebook.com/share/1C2QyuuAz7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

I am always looking for comments, critiques, and your thoughts on my work. I am also seeking gallery representation and commercial venues to display and sell my work while sharing percentages with the venue.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My passion to create has helped pave the road, yet potholes do exist, and are created by my lack of formal training. Being self-taught has caused me to re-invent the wheel in many cases but in so doing, has afforded me with many surprising results.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I mostly do acrylic, mixed medium, and watercolor paintings. I also do pet portraits and commission work. What sets me apart is probably my bold use of color, and flowing rhythmic compositions. However, my use of technology to add animation, movement, and sometimes startling effects to my work is what really makes my art unique when viewed online, or projected on a screen or wall for example.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Intense work ethic, passion for learning, fearless experimentation, and an eagerness to welcome and apply outside criticisms, suggestions, and new ideas to my art as I progress along the never ending pursuit of excellence.

Pricing:

• Original Paintings on canvas 16” x20” $150 – $200
• original paintings 11″ x 14″ matted and framed $$100- $200
• Larger painting on canvas 18″ x 34″ $200+. 48″ x 36″ $300+
• 11″ x 14″ limited edition prints matted to 16″ x 20″ signed and numbered $30+
• Commissions vary depending on complexity

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.michaelgrantart.com
• Instagram: mikegrant6316
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16tx6cdjxt/?mibextid=wwXIfr