Michael Carpenter

The best part of painting is hearing how the art is viewed by others. Their thoughts about it. How it makes them feel.
Thank you for spending your most valuable resource, time, to read this and view my work.
It is my hope for you to get something from it.

Looking back, my parents had immense artistic talent. I was surrounded by art in my formative years. Great art was being made around me all the time. It was how life was, I knew nothing else.

I was always being shown something new to think about and asked my opinion. I was asked what lead me to think about it in that way and assured, whatever my opinion was, it was valid. I was given the opinion of the artist and why they had that opinion. I was told why "this" was done "that" way and often how it could have been done differently. After all, the maker was the one speaking to me. It was a wonderful way to grow up. It was as if I was living art school without realizing it.

I remember asking my Mother if I should do art and what she told me, "You know I can't answer that. Art comes without thought. If you should, you will. You can't force it nor can you stop it." I never thought about "doing" art. I was never pushed or prodded. Of course I was offered supplies and suppose I did as any other child does; coloring, finger painting, ceramics, sculpting and experiencing other things art related but I never really felt drawn to it. I never felt the need. That changed when I, out of the blue, decided I wanted to put my feelings on canv...