Excerpted from Art Journey America: Landscapes.
Winter’s Splendor, oil, 18 x 36.
Born in Germany in 1958 and raised in North Carolina, Michael Godfrey is a representational landscape artist whose work hangs in many private and corporate collections. Godfrey spends hours field sketching and photographing, preparing for a well-thought-out painting. “An artist must observe with the idea that what is observed must be interpreted and distilled,” says Godfrey.
What inspired this painting?
Whenever it snows I go to a nearby wooded pond area to see what treasures are exposed by the blanket of snow. Snowfall reveals the underlying structure, reflects and bounces light, and presents many possibilities for painting compositions. Because of my preference for strong lighting effects, I composed this painting facing into the sun.
Is your painting inspired by spirituality? How is that seen in your art?
Any ability I have is God given. I want my paintings to reflect what God has already done. My motivation to create comes from my relationship to Him. I want the viewer of my work to feel the sense of awe that I experience. There is much that is beautiful in this world and I think that art—my art—should lift the spirit of the viewer.
What galleries represent you?
Highlands Art Gallery, Bernardsville, NJ; Huey’s Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM; McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD; New Masters Gallery, Carmel, CA; Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ, and Jackson, WY; www.michaelgodfrey.com.
Featured in January 2012.