Michael Welch
"Mykl"
"Abstract Fusion"
The art of merging different styles, genres and techniques into its own identity. .
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A visual dessert tray of color and expression.
Expressing the world through acrylic on canvas.
There are so many ways to view the world around us.
Expression is a gift. I express myself accordingly.
The Art of Mykl
Abstract Fusion
(A playful gravitas)
Artist: Michael Welch
Signature: Mykl
Award-winning contemporary artist.
Representation:
Gallery 24, Los Gatos, CA
https://www.lggallery24.org/
I am an award-winning contemporary artist in the San Francisco Bay Area
where I am at the stage where I no longer merely paint.
I play with paint.
I love starting a piece without an end objective.
It seems like such pure expression to discover as I apply paint, texture and marks,
working it until it tells me to step away.
Additionally, I am a very productive artist.
I finished 73 paintings in 2021, 111 paintings in 2022 and 21 paintings so far in 2023.
I am also at the point where I can coin a term to define the current stage
in the evolution of my work,
Abstract Fusion.
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ABSTRACT FUSION
Fu·sion
/ˈfyo͞oZH(ə)n/
noun
the process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity
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In this case, fusion can fuse together different elements and contrasts, Contrast include color, textures a feeling of viewing more than one painting or universe on the same canvas. I am fascinated with pushing the boundaries of differences within the same piece.
(Quote from a fellow artist to me: “I like that, “abstract fusion!” And it fits like a glove. Your art transcends boundaries and genres like good jazz. It spans a gamut, some of it abstract, some of it more representational with a graphic style. The “fusion” works across the board even if it’s not always abstract.”)
Fusing abstract space with the objective creates depth of appreciation with the painted space. It’s a style I stumbled on unexpectedly. It deemed worthy of further exploration to the point where I now have enough pieces ready for at least four shows.
1-408-656-0669
michael.welch@yahoo.com
https://www.myklstudios.com/
Instagram: @mykl1950
Representation:
Gallery 24, Los Gatos, CA
www.lggallery24.org
Latest Works
"A Portrait of Buckminster Fuller: Call Me Trimtab"
Juried in:
Awarded Honorable Mention in the Greater Bay Area Open (GBAO) art competition. Currently on display in the NUMU museum is Los Gatos, CA.
Show Dates: February 4, 2022 – March 12, 2022.
Jurors: Preston Metcalf & Julie Ericsson
20 x 24
"Lost in Transit"
Juried in:
Critic's Choice Award
Kennedy Rd. Art Show 2022: "Reflections"
Los Gatos, CA
Will Mahler, Critic
20 x 20
"Black Wives Matter"
Juried in
Pacific Grove Public Library, Pacific Grove, CA.
October 4, 2022– January 6, 2023
“Remember, Rise, Revitalize”
A Fine Art Juried Show
36 x 36
"Under the Boardwalk"
Talent Prize Award
Art Show International Art Gallery,
8th Abstract Juried Art Competition
March-April 2023
36 x 36
"Inflorescence"
Mixed media: Acrylic, puzzle piece, shoestring, acrylic skins, cardboard.
24 x 36
"The Voyagers"
Juried in:
Finalist, UArt Competition 2022
Redwood City, CA
UArt Open, University Art Center, Redwood City, CA - 2022
Juror: Kelly Detweller, Professor of Art, Santa Clara University
I enjoy creating an abstract painting and sketching-in something from history. Many migrants do not get much respect, although we all stand on their shoulders. We owe them. So it felt like an honor to represent them in a contemporary style. The Voyagers traveling in search of a better life. Aren't we all?
24 x 24
"A Better Place"
May this be a reminder we are all in some stage of this situation.
Everyone seeks a better place. It's a constant. We are all migrants in the fingers of time.
The will to live, survive and thrive is a force we all share.
From our ancestors to where we are now, you are in this image,.
24 x 48
Earlier Works
"Mayacamas Barrel Room"
Juried in:
Los Gatos Art Association, Los Gatos, CA
Online Member’s Juried Show, Fall 2021
24 x 30 on gallery-wrapped canvas
Back in 2016 our Intensive Sommelier Training class went on a field trip to Mayacamas Winery in Napa.
I took this shot because of the interesting perspective..
Mayacamas does not typically encourage a lot of visitors, but we were with Ian Cauble, the Master Sommelier of "Somm" fame on Netflix. He has clout. The wines were stunning.
"Big Sur Afternoon"
30 x 40 on gallery-wrapped canvas
While I am now very satisfied with this piece,..keep reading...
This one totally kicked my ass. It took a whole week to finish, working on it 6 to 8 hours a day.
I started liking it toward the end, but it was a massive challenge. For one, it was based on a pic that was too obscure and dark to sketch out so many basics shapes. So I had to fill them in as I went along, a long grueling task. I tried several approaches and settled on putting it together piece by piece, not unlike a mosaic. I finally decided to go for a style similar to some of the landscape paintings you see on Italian ceramics like some I saw just north of Positano.
"Porto Venere, Cinque Terre"
30 x 40 on gallery-wrapped canvas
It took sixteen days to finish this piece. I took this shot on the dock after leaving the ferry while visiting this Italian village in 2019 to fulfill a bucket list destination dream. And it certainly did not disappoint.
"Bonnie"
SOLD
Juried in
Art Fluent, International Art Exhibit, 2022
Theme: "Within"
Acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas. 24 x 24
"October Bloom"
Juried in to Marin Society of Artists: Artist's Vision 2020 - An International Juried Fine Arts Exhibition.
January 15 - March 14, 2022
Juror: JEN TOUGH
Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Acrylic/Mixed Media on gallery-wrapped canvas. 36 x 36.
Tasteful extravagance seeks a space on your wall.
"Sidnie Waller: I Am With You"
Acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas. 24 x 30.
SOLD
Sidnie was killed in a car accident. Her friend was driving under the influence and Sidnie lost her life..
"The Understated Incident at Martial Cottle Park"
24 x 24 on gallery-wrapped canvas
I thought I'd tone it down for the sake of subtlety and elegance on this one, he said boldly.
This park is about a half mile from where I live and I ride my electric bike here often.
"Capitola Dreaming"
24 x 30 on gallery-wrapped canvas
Capitola Village is one of my happy places, a little gem on the coast just south of Santa Cruz, about a 35 minute drive from home. I love quaint, colorful places.
"The Proposal"
Juried in:
Ark Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA
August 18 - September 15, 2021
24 x 24 on gallery-wrapped canvas
A friend took a pic of a couple at the famed "The Bean" sculpture in Chicago two years ago. He gave me permission to use it. After I finished, many people tried to find the couple to let them know this painting of them existed. Note: Hair colors, clothing and other details have been changed for privacy and legal purposes.
"Down Time"
Juried in:
Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA
August 18 - September 15, 2021
24 x 30 on gallery-wrapped canvas
"A Nook in Old Town Rhodes"
Juried in:
Los Gatos Art Association, Los Gatos, CA - Online Member’s Juried Show, Fall 2021
24 x 36 on gallery-wrapped canvas
From a pic I took while visiting the island of Rhodes, Greece
"Monterey Soliloquy"
SOLD
Juried in:
Los Gatos Art Association, Los Gatos, CA - Online Member’s Juried Show, Fall 2021
30 x 40
Water can be challenging, but not this time. I lived in Monterey for eight years not long after I left Iowa for good. Such a special spot on the planet.
I was a sculptor most of the time I lived here and sold every piece, mostly to a gallery here on the wharf. But the welding fumes were getting to me, so I reluctantly moved on to cartooning an illustration for several years. So Monterey and this wharf are bookmarked in my soul. "
"Palo Alto Interlude"
Juried in:
Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
December 2 - 31, 2021. Group show.
"Botanicals"
https://www.laslagunaartgallery.com/2021botanical
24 x 36 on gallery-wrapped canvas
I love downtowns with hidden alcoves like this, a perfect place to engage the mental and emotional clutch and enjoy the beauty around you.
When I sketched this onto the canvas, painting it was like untangling a ball of yarn with all the intersecting lines. Every piece is like a jigsaw puzzle, and the brushstrokes are the puzzle pieces.
Then there is that moment when you stop and step back and look at the painting and it feels good.
It's coming together nicely. And you can't wait to finish it and enjoy it for a while
before starting the next piece.
This little area in Palo Alto is a respite from all concerns. I
hope this painting serves the same purpose for you as it does for me.
"Cahalan Park"
Acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas
24 x 36
Sometimes a painting just happens. It paints itself almost as if the brush was being channeled.
This is one of those paintings.
"Pienza Dreaming"
20 x 30
I like the idea of taking a pastoral scene and setting it on fire with color. I try to create spectrums within a painting, in fact with all the art I have been involved with.
In this case, the sky has only touch of clouds, a degree above subtle. The trees on the right have white swirled in, the trees on the upper left scream a bit in orange as well as a spectrum of other colors.
There are two focal points, the fiery orange on the treetops on the upper left along with the three white cloud puffs above it, and the stone building. The car is a minor focal point. I left it white to not let it upstage anything. It's a minor addition like a plot point in a screenplay.
The sky and distant grounds are display subtle movement in contrast with the intensity of the color
highlights on the trees and more detailed stone building.
Originally I had a mountain range in the background, but decided to drop the sky down to create a more atmospheric, moody feel to create the curvature of the earth.
When I first think the piece is finished, I consult with Ginny and Jeremy and set it on the corner counter in the kitchen/family room and sit back to study it and allow my inner critic to have voice. I try to figure out the spectrums and contrasts, then take it back it for finality. In this case, I thought I was finished at least five times. I went to bed last night satisfied with it after posting it, then I woke up and decided it was still in need of more color and expression, so I went back and worked it some more for three more touch ups. Maybe I'm finished now.)
Celebrities & Heroes
"Vivienne"
Mixed media: Acrylic, oil pastel, graphite, cut paper, buttons.
Vivienne Westwood
24 x 30
"Freeing the Forbidden"
A portrait of Nelson Mandela
Juried in
Pacific Grove Public Library, Pacific Grove, CA.
October 4, 2022– January 6, 2023
“Remember, Rise, Revitalize”
A Fine Art Juried Show
20 x 24
"Black Wives Matter"
Juried in
Pacific Grove Public Library, Pacific Grove, CA.
October 4, 2022– January 6, 2023
“Remember, Rise, Revitalize”
A Fine Art Juried Show
36 x 36
"RBG"
A Portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Juried in:
Diversia: UN Calendar 2022 - May 2022
24 x 30
" Hermann Hesse"
German author: Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, The Glass Bead Game
24 x 24
"Charles Bukowski"
Poet, Novelist, Anti-Hero
Mixed media: Acrylic and graphite.
24 x 30
"A Portrait of Buckminster Fuller: Call Me Trimtab"
Juried in and awarded HONORABLE MENTION
Greater Bay Area Open art competition 2022
NUMU Museum, Los Gatos, CA
Los Gatos Art Association
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JURORS:
Preston Metcalf: Executive Director of the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, CA,
Julie Ericsson, Art Curator at NUMU, New Museum Los Gatos
24 x 36
"Vincent Van Gogh"
From one of the very few photos of him. At age nineteen.
Mixed media: Acrylic and graphite.
20 x 24
Small Paintings
Barcelona Overtones
12 x 12
Exhibited in the "Holiday Small Works Show" Juried Exhibition
at Kansas City Stockyards Gallery.
OPENING RECEPTION November 19th, 5pm-9pm
SHOW DATES – November 19th-January 14th 2022
In order to create more affordable and accessible art, I’m painting a series of small canvases. This one is 12 inches square. That's right one square foot of acrylic expression
From a trip to Spain in 2018.
Tomorrow Bay
9 x 12
The second in a series of smaller paintings to get into the lesser price range.
This piece reminds me somewhat of a watercolor painting. However, acrylic is water based.
This is from a trip we took to Morro Bay on Labor Day 2014. For some reason I love the challenge of intersecting planes, reflections and shadows. I look at the sketch and see a tangled world I need to make sense of, to untangle it into something pleasing to the eye. I also like dreamy images.
This small painting would fit nicely into many small wall spaces. And since it's a 1 1/2 inch thick, gallery-wrapped canvas. It can be displayed simply by setting it on a small table space.
Enjoy!
Hiding from the Tomkins
9 x 12
The third in a series of smaller paintings to get into the lesser price range.
This small painting would fit nicely into many small wall spaces. And since it's a 1 1/2 inch thick, gallery-wrapped canvas. It can be displayed simply by setting it on a small table space.
Enjoy!
Events
Kansas City Stockyards Gallery - Kansas City, MO
"Barcelona Overtones" part of a group show "Holiday Small Works. Nov 19 - Jan 14, 2022
Purchasing
I prefer payments via Paypal, Venmo and Cash apps if we are too far away for personal delivery,.
Contact me.
A Few Points to Consider
Thank you for your interest in my work.
1. The artist retains all reproduction rights and copyrights of his work. For more information: https://arsny.com/artists-rights-101/
2, Payments are accepted the following ways: Paypal, Venmo and the Cash App. (Oh, and cash as well.) If you want to pay via check, the check will have to clear before delivery.
4. If you are local, we can make other arrangements for payment and delivery. All shipping cost are added to the price of your purchase.
5. I will consider renting/leasing my work.
6. I will deliver within a two hour commute from San Jose, CA. Or you can come to my studio for pick it up.
6. Once again, please accept my sincere appreciation for your interest. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Michael “Mykl” Welch
1-408-656-0669
michael.welch@yahoo.com
San Jose, CA 95123
www.instagram.com/mykl1950/