Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Evolution of the Art and the Artist

Artist Michael Irvine's Mission Statement:
"To constantly challenge myself and create
paintings that I can be proud to stand in
front of."
- Michael Irvine

And he really does live, and paint, by that statement. If Michael's not completely happy with the setting, title, cars, story, any part of the painting, he won't paint it.

For the better part of 20 years, the fine art was more of a hobby, for Michael. He had a successful and lucrative career as a commercial illustrator, and he dabbled in his own art. Always a lover of the automobile, his subject of choice was easy! About 4 years ago, we sat down and had a serious discussion on where we saw ourselves in the future. As recognition in the automotive world grew, so did the demand (from our clients) for Michael to release prints more often than once or twice a year. Juggling both the commercial art, as well as the automotive paintings, became to much and a decision had to be made. I'm glad to say, the right one!

Now, that's when things got interesting ...


Michael started to find new ways of challenging himself with every new painting. First it was the level of detail and the number of cars. Then the 'fantasy' setting, like the paintings in the Muscle Car Landscapes Series. Then, in a piece like "Feeding Frenzy", he took his use of reflective surfaces to a new level - the only non-reflective surface is the sky.



There are the paintings in the Above Them All Series ("Service Fit For A King", "It's A Grand Sport"), which not only give you a unique, bird's eye view of an iconic, history making vehicle, but also allow you to hang your art, your way.


Recently, he's pushing himself creatively - to tell a story, or give the onlooker a view, not only beyond the ordinary, but almost the surreal. Like in "BEEP BEEP!", he is pushing himself creatively, to capture, what I think, is the 'personality' of the vehicles.

It'll be interesting to see what he comes out with next. All I know, is his sketchbook is extraordinary!! Thanks for your support, I'll keep you posted. - Linda

Friday, February 11, 2011

Do You Know Your Engines?

Taking a bit of a breather since finishing his latest painting, "Beep Beep!" featuring the powerful Plymouth Road Runners, Michael came across this cool and challenging game. He said it was tough and a couple had him baffled. In the end, he scored a respectable 15 out of 19 ... how will you measure up?

It's called the "Engine ID Game #2 (V8s from 1957 to 1972) Trivia Game", check it out at: AMERICAN TORQUE.com ... and good luck!


Courtesy of AmericanTorque.com