Michael Schweigart

The natural landscape with just the footprint of civilization is a boundless source of inspiration. I’m always looking for new ways to creatively blend subject matter into paintings, while maintaining the realistic qualities many have come to identify with my work. Painting is a natural process for me, instilled and nurtured from childhood. It’s all about creating believable paintings and realizing the significance of man's connection with nature.

As a landscape painter I explore a variety of vantage points; sometimes from a bird’s eye view, which encompasses the immensity of the land. While at other times, I focus on the more intimate aspects of the visual world including the human or architectural ingredient, combined with just a glimpse of the distant landscape. Distance and intimacy are at times entwined to create an exciting dichotomy.

These days I don't start a painting until I have given the idea considerable thought. Being drawn back to a subject is usually a good indicator its worth pursuing. It is an adventure exploring the landscape for the best vantage point to connect with subject, once achieved I work from there, adding or eliminating information until I feel the balance. Light has always fascinated me with rich possibilities from dawn to dusk. Twilight presents a plethora of stimulating ideas, continually cultivating my mind and evoking my passion. Preliminary studies result in a deeper sense of awareness unveiling remarkable details and fresh ways of seeing.

Painting helps to strip away the superficial to go beyond the first impression, revealing parallels between man and nature gathered from my observations of the natural process. Stones exposed to the elements in nature are smoothed and polished, and over the course of time are transformed, beautifully refined and uniquely different. Hopefully my paintings will encourage a greater connection for you.

I have been exhibiting my landscapes for more than 2 decades in galleries from New York City to South Jersey, Philadelphia and even the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. My paintings have won awards and are included in many prestigious public and private collections.

~Michael Schweigart