Colorado
Michael Devore, A Few Too Many, oil, 28 x 24.
What inspired your winning entry? I’m very inspired by genre scenes from the Baroque period, and this is my attempt to create something that has a similar feel. I used glazing techniques and a limited palette to help achieve the visual effect. I have done some bar scenes recently, and I wanted to create a scene with a more melancholic attitude. So, the idea of someone nodding off after a few drinks seemed like the perfect subject matter. The age of the man lends a degree of weariness to his character and makes us more sympathetic to his situation. His face alone inspires me.
Where did you study art? The Florence Academy of Art in Italy.
What artists, living or deceased, have influenced your work? Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Diego Velázquez, Ilya Repin, Emil Carlsen, William Merritt Chase, David Leffel, Odd Nerdrum, and Daniel Graves.
What’s your favorite artwork by another artist? It’s very difficult to pick a favorite, but one painting that I cannot forget is THE MILKMAID
by Vermeer.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be? An animator or illustrator, although that still fits in the art category. I always wanted to be a voice actor. I have a knack for impressions and different characters.
When you are not painting, what do you enjoy doing? Playing with my 2-year-old daughter. I’ve been attending many tea parties. I also make a good horse, apparently.
What galleries represent your work? Greenberg Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM; Arts at Denver, Denver, CO.
Featured in the December 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
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