About

 

I always wanted to be an artist. I try hard every day to be a good one.

My training, mostly in Cincinnati through the School for Creative and Performing Arts and the Art Academy of Cincinnati, was rich in exploration of new materials and methods. I studied photography, etching, some forms of sculpture, and a huge range of exotic topics such as wet fresco, vacuum form, silver point drawing, encaustics. My BFA was focused on painting.

By 1980, computers were becoming available but they were limited and much less user-friendly than today. I became interested in them and the potential they offered for making art.

In 1989, I got the opportunity to study at Pratt Institute’s Computer Graphics department. It was a good experience living in NY and having access to so much new technology. I received my MFA in 1991.

I met my wife, a fellow student, in NY.

I returned to Cincinnati, where my family lived and in 1994 started a company, Interactive Technologies, Inc., creating training materials and other products to be viewed and interacted with on computers. About 60% of my work involved programming and technical issues but only 30% graphic design and illustration. The income was nice and so it went on for some time. Meanwhile, we bought a house and had two children.

Today, I am investing my time 100% to making art and posting it here. I truly hope you enjoy it.

 

3 thoughts on “About”

  2. Hey Michael, you contacted me a while back through my website. I apologize for not getting back to you earlier. It got buried.

    I really enjoy your work and especially the Beechcroft images. Like me, you work in a mode that is hardly likely to be of much appeal to the fine art marketplace. We are both technically traditional and highly skilled without being virtuosic, and we emphasize narrative and story telling which is about as old fashioned as you can get. And yet, I believe it exactly those things that human beings are most compelled by. Unfortunately the kind of art we are pursuing is also awash in mediocrity and cliche, precisely because it is so appealing. Mysterious and dramatic narrative subject matter is the pursuit of so many amateurs. There’s no way around this. But your good enough to get past that.

    Are you represented by a gallery? It can be a very depressing endeavor trying to find one, and the best ones (those that represent only a few artists and actively engage in their careers) usually have little interest in our pedestrian predilections.

    I’ve been a professional artist for almost 30 years and I’m still struggling to find my way. I wish you the best of luck.

    Also I have a couple questions for you. How did you come across my work? Where and when did you earn your MFA (I never got that far)? And where are you based now?

    David

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  3. Hi Michael I’m sorry I didn’t answer you for so long. I received your letter on May 16th. I’ve been thinking about your letter all the time and just now I have found time to carefully study your site and your work. In general, I really liked everything. Very attractive looks. You can see your creative path from early paintings to new ones. This path is united by your artistic style. He is interesting. The world of your paintings is mysterious and attractive. Very noticeable cinematic trail. I remembered the Coen Brothers film “Zits-Chairman” (frontman) and the film “Eraser Head” by David Lynch. Your paintings show the post urban world and this world does not represent the ruins. This is a transformed world that continues to live according to its own special laws, in which man-made fragments merged with a living person. Often, technology and architecture takes on the features of a living being and vice versa, a person is endowed with the quality of a machine. Painting itself is soft in color and tone and color. Pleasant, restrained color. You probably paint your paintings with acrylic or tempera? I went to your site, I wanted to know more about you. I wonder from what city you are and from which country. I am interested in your biography, your life and destiny. I want more specificity in the stages of the events of your creative life. Now at the moment the site creates such an aura of mystery. Perhaps you do not give specific data to keep this image of secrecy. But in the future, of course, I would like to know about your life not only from your paintings. You also have the talent of a writer. Do not give up writing, continue to engage in addition to painting and literary creation. It is very interesting how you found me, because the Internet is so huge and there are millions of artists in the world. Thank you for the analytical letter with a good appreciation of my work! I wish you with all my heart creative successes, all the best! Take care of yourself and your loved ones! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to travel through your wonderful world!
    Sincerely, Alexey Akindinov, Ryazan, Russia.
    http://www.AkinDinov.com

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