Leonardo da Vinci

Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art.

--Leonardo da Vinci


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Moods of the Pacific Northwest

Quintessential
36x48
Moods of the Pacific Northwest
 
 
Show Statement
 
Michael Lindstrom, is an oil painter, born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and has developed a great love for its dynamic beauty. Out of his passion for the diverse topography and seasonal weather patterns was born this show, Moods of the Pacific Northwest.
 
In this show you will see a broad range of subject matter, from moody coastlines to intimate tree lines, to the Gorge, to east of the Cascades. His goal is to give the viewer a feeling of what inspires him about the Pacific Northwest. "It's really a celebration of the landscape, and the beauty that comes with every season."
 
Michael is primarily a plein air painter and feels that painting from life adds a dimension to his work that is difficult to replicate in the studio. "I believe the challenge of working out in the elements gives a painting a certain spontaneity and freshness that captures a moment in time."
 
What you might find even more interesting is that Michael began oil painting only four years ago and put together this show while holding down a full time job. "Painting for this show was no doubt a challenge that I was up for, but add to the mix that I only had evenings and weekends to paint, catapulted me into another gear of intensity."
 
"There are many people I have to thank for helping and inspiring me along my creative journey. However, for this show I am choosing to honor one person in particular: the very first person to inspire me to paint...... As a late teen I watched her periodically bring home paintings from a weekly class and wanted to ask if I could try it, but I never did. Maybe I wasn't ready..... I remember receiving one of her paintings for my 18th birthday that I still cherish today. And more than 25 years later I am taking my mother's inspiration to another level in a show of my own. A tree has grown from that seed planted so long ago."
 
"I have you to thank, Mom, for passing on the inspiration of oil painting to me. I am hopeful to do the same for another."
 
 
Moods of the Pacific Northwest
Dedicated to the memory of
Betsy Lindstrom
 
 
 
 

Friday, January 25, 2013

Aspens' Edge

Aspens' Edge
14x18
 
As I complete the finishing touches on my first solo art show at, Art on the Boulevard in Vancouver, WA, I pause and reflect on the journey that it took to get here.
The places I traveled to, and the people I came in contact with, have all added a richness and vibrancy to this extraordinary experience.
Like the time I met a young woman and her two boys while I painted in the rain on the coast. She used it as a teaching tool for her kids by encouraging them to do what they love no matter what the weather is. 
Or the time my wife and I had a wonderful picnic at the Pumpkin Patch. She read while I painted, then we paused for some great food, and enjoyed the lovely late summer afternoon.
And of course there's the time when my good friend Eric Jacobsen and I were searching for a spot to paint and came across a stubborn cow wondering down the road with clearly too much time on his hands......
All the experiences of preparing for this show are woven into every piece, and it is my hope you can feel the joy, the struggles, and the mood in each painting.
 
Moods of the Pacific Northwest opens Feb.1 and runs through Mar. 31