Santiago Michalek Fine Art

Das Auto Magazine - VW Owner Profile

2012-01-25T14:48:00.001-07:00

It is always an honor to be featured in a magazine but especially when its a magazine exclusively for VW owners!

Volkswagen Owner Profile: The Artist

visit Das Auto to view the article

Meet Santiago Michalek, whose passions for painting and restoring his favorite old cars—Volkswagens—have merged.

Some artists fixate on certain subjects. Think Andy Warhol and the 32 Campbell’s Soup cans, or those haystacks Monet couldn’t leave alone.

Then there’s Santiago Michalek, a Provo, Utah, figurative painter in the style of Norman Rockwell, who less than two years ago started devoting his canvases to painting vintage Volkswagen Beetle and Bus models, and now has completed close to 100.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an obsession,” Michalek says, “but pretty close.”

An artist since he was a child growing up near Buenos Aires, Argentina, Michalek also has a garage where he restores vintage VW models. When the weather’s nice he leaves the door open, and two or three times a week when he’s under a Beetle with a wrench in his hand, somebody with a smile on their face stops by with a fond memory of camping with his or her grandfather in a VW Bus or taking a convertible Beetle to go surfing.

“I’ve heard so many stories about people and VWs,” says Michalek, who paints in oil. “Everybody has been in one or driven one. You look for a subject that is true to what is around you so that there is validity in your work. I realized VWs have, for me, been a great way to connect with people.”

About half of Michalek’s VW works are in private collections and he’s been accepted into prestigious galleries and shows such as the Springville Museum of Art and the Meyer Gallery in Park City, Utah. Clearly, these works resonate with people. The vintage works, “so simple but so versatile,” he says, especially seem to carry stories that can take people back in time.

“[The vehicles] were super affordable and functional,” Michalek says. “They won so many people over because of their affordability and their functionality. I just love them to death.”

Obsession? Maybe. But Michalek is far from alone.

A Post From Our Little Artist

2012-01-19T10:01:00.002-07:00

Before my daddy left for Arizona for his art show I helped him a lot! I love to be in the barn when daddy is working. Whatever he is doing is what I want to be doing! We would paint together and I would help him gesso his panels.

I miss him lots but we get to talk every day on skype and I tell him all the funny things I am doing. I love to kiss the phone and insist that he gives me kisses back. I'm so proud of my daddy!

Moving To Arizona

2012-01-12T14:18:00.001-07:00

Saying good-bye to daddy.

Last Saturday Santiago packed everything into his trailer and started the drive to Arizona. Despite all the snow he arrived in Scottsdale safely.

Over the next 3 days Santiago along with a few faithful friends built his booth at The Celebration of Fine Art.

We have lights!

The show will open this Saturday, January 14th at 10:00 am and is located on the SW corner of Hayden Rd and Loop 101, off Exit 35 in the big white tents. There are so many amazing artists all congregated in one place the energy is amazing! Hope to see you there!

Art Show Tomorrow December 30th

2011-12-29T09:59:00.003-07:00

Santiago has been up for more than 30 hours straight putting the final touches on a large panel bus painting. We hope you will join us tomorrow night to see this and other new pieces at his show at the Meyer Gallery.

Friday, December 30th

305 Main Street

Park City, Utah

6-9 pm

Filming

2011-12-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to finally be making a video about Santiago's artwork! Thanks to our friend and neighbor Josh Ligairi (the creator of Knights of Mayhem) we will soon have Santiago's story documented on film.

I never get tired of hearing Santiago talk about the things that inspire him and have helped him to get where he is now as an artist.

Josh's show on the National Geographic channel is a reality series all about full contact jousting. Very entertaining to watch - you should check it out!

Art SWAP

2011-12-08T22:11:00.001-07:00

We were very happy to host the Springville Museum of Art December Art SWAP in the barn last week!

Santiago with Virgil Jacobsen - Assistant Director SMA (and Our Little Artist ).

The setup before the guests arrived.

We had about 30 local teachers and their spouses attend. One of Santiago's art teachers from Junior High was even there!

Santiago talking about his art including his inspiration and process.

One of Santiago's VW busses is pictured in the background. It is in the process of getting restored.

It is always great to get to know people from the local art community and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

An Update From The Artist

2011-12-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Preparations are in full force for The Celebration of Fine Art show that is coming up in Scottsdale. I hope to have over 40 pieces completed by early January. At this phase that means a lot of panels to paint and gesso.

Most of my inspiration comes when I have uninterrupted time to focus and let the inspiration flow. That means I paint through the night and often times go to bed when the rest of the family is getting up. The schedule is difficult, but I am energized about this new line of work that I am putting together.

I'm excited to reveal everything I have been working and am looking forward to the warm weather in Scottsdale, AZ in a little over a month.

Swenson Fine Art Gallery

2011-11-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Santiago flew over to Laguna Beach and met with Laurie Swenson the owner of Swenson Fine Art Gallery and we are so excited that she will be showing Santiago's work there! If you live by or are visiting the heart of Laguna Beach, CA on Pacific Coast Highway, the gallery is located right across from one of the most gorgeous beaches in the world.

Swenson Fine Art Gallery not only has an awesome facebook page but they have a FREE app for your smart phone. Just go to the app store and search for Swenson Fine Art to download.

Kirk's Figure Drawing Class

2011-11-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday night you can find J. Kirk Richards teaching his figure drawing class in our barn.

We love hosting this class and it's been wonderful to get to know Kirk and see his talent for both painting and teaching first hand.

Special Feature

2011-11-02T21:40:00.000-06:00

A special thanks to Geoff of The Post for featuring the following article about Santiago!

Lily Pads and Love Bugs: Santiago Michalek’s winning strategy strikes a familiar chord

Here are about half my thoughts about an artist whose work was on exhibit at the Meyer Gallery in Park City in August.

Surely one of the most widely recognized and well loved artists today is Claude Monet, whose long career carried him from the invention of Impressionism, through that landmark movement’s brief decade dominating the art market, past Cubism and the first World War, and ended just as that other perennial favorite, Surrealism, appeared on the scene. Specialists can identify Monet’s early, atmospheric experiments, but surely everyone knows the gardens and lily ponds that constitute the majority of his works. And thanks to his enduring popularity, many know that those subjects were not ones he found in the parks or suburbs of Paris. Monet was one of the handful of artists whose early success enabled him to buy land and to build the ideal landscapes he wanted to paint. His lily pond, its familiar bridge, and the gardens surrounding them could always be enjoyed in themselves, but first they were meant to be painted. Santiago Michalek’s life and work interweave in a similar pattern, but in his case the connection came about less directly. There must be plenty of car buffs whose dream job would be to spend their days restoring old cars if only they could make a living at it, just as there is no end to the would-be artists who can’t find a way to make it support them. Yet after a decade of alternating serious painting with tracking down and restoring his favorite old cars, Michalek’s two dream jobs have merged in a way that appears as practical as Monet’s selling admission to the gardens he made popular in his paintings.

Like the novelist Cesar Aira, Santiago Michalek was born just outside Buenos Aires, Argentina. He started drawing as a child, no doubt building crucial foundation skills that he would sublimate for more than twenty years. Perhaps like most boys he drew cars, though it seems unlikely he would have chosen to draw the relatively unromantic, cheap-but-sturdy Volkswagens that, as universal as they seemed immortal, could be seen everywhere in every conceivable condition. Young, would-be artists everywhere are told to find some more practical line of work, and maybe it didn’t seem so unrealistic a dream to a South American boy . . . not just to become a driver or a mechanic, but to make a living restoring the older VWs that, with the passing years, seemed less unromantic. Michalek was well aware that the image of what had become his favorite car was changing. “A few years ago, it’s true,” he says when asked about the crumbling examples abandoned in fields to rust into oblivion. But now, he explains, those same wrecks can be restored and sold to well-heeled baby-boomers who still want to own and drive the cars they pined for decades ago.

Michalek set up a business where his manual skills and high standards pay off; the cars he rebuilds aren’t just junk that can be driven, but are as close to showroom condition as possible. But his successful VW restoration shop on the Wasatch Front doesn’t exhaust all his energy or his ambition, and so a few years ago he began to formally study the skills he learned from his grandfather long ago. Although he retains a strong interest in the human physiognomy, both portraits and figures, it’s clear that much of his painting time is spent sketching the cars he works on. Sometimes he paints them as found, in barns or cluttered garages, sagging and listing in fields or junkyards, or parked and collecting dust under trees. A few can be seen in medias res, partly dismantled under the care of a fellow mechanic. Sometimes a car seen as found appears in another image fully reborn, a shiny source of pride. Throughout, it quickly becomes apparent that the artist knows his subject the way a scientific illustrator knows the parts of a plant or animal. As meticulously as he captures the mood and yes, romance, of old forms of transportation, Michalek paints his subjects so precisely his images could be used to illustrate manuals on their care and reconstruction.

At this relatively early stage in his career as a painter, the influence of San Francisco’s Bridge Academy, where he studied with Sean Diediker and Justin Taylor, is evident. There is a competent, illustrator quality to his painting that might be thought unusual in someone who began to exhibit only recently. But of course he’s been drawing, and painting, and working with his hands all his life. The range of conditions and circumstances in which old cars are found find their echo in the moods of his brush. The range of auto body paint, from shiny to rusted through, the worn out interiors, and the countless textures of sheds, open fields, garages, and wherever cars go to die (and live again), are only part of the story. It’s fascinating to go to his web site and see the same cars in both rough, small scale sketches and larger, formal presentations. Few artists of his caliber, even photographers or writers, can present a slice of life so vividly and with this authority, because few artists of his caliber have a life beyond art. Those who do often triumph as documentarians, but fail as story tellers. Santiago Michalek is a willing memoirist, someone whose paintings tell stories we can discern, intuit, and enjoy. And unless and until he and his peers get every old or abandoned Volkswagen back on the road, his stories and their limitless variety will only proliferate.

Logan Fine Art Gallery 2011 Salon

2011-10-27T11:47:00.000-06:00

We are happy to announce that Santiago won an Honorable Mention for his "Murphy's Wholesale" piece in the first annual Logan Fine Art Gallery 2011 Salon.

Congratulations to all the winners all amazing Utah artists! We are excited about this local event and hope that it will be even bigger in years to come.

The Winner Is...

2011-10-20T11:50:00.000-06:00

Thank you to everyone that entered the give-away! It was a very humbling experience to read through so many people's stories of struggle and triumph. It was very difficult to determine the winner as each nomination was so deserving. We are very happy to announce that Chris & Sundee Wilson will be receiving a custom oil painting from Santiago.

The Wilson's lost their twin boys and Sundee wrote and shared their beautiful story with us. In her own words:

"When I was 8 weeks pregnant we found out we would be having twins. From that day forward our minds were going at 100 miles an hour thinking and preparing ourselves for twins. At our 12 weeks check up the little munchkins were "swimming" like crazy on the ultrasound. My pregnancy was going great, by this time I had only had maybe 3 episodes of morning sickness/vomiting.

These little guys would be the first grand-baby and great grand-baby for my husband’s side. It was a very touching moment to let them know that we were expecting. They were all so excited and ready to do anything for us. I was the first daughter on my side to get pregnant. Even though my sweet mom was already a grandmother, it became something totally different for her as she shared her knowledge and past pregnancy experiences with me. Because of this I invited her to come to my 17 weeks check up.

As we sat in the office waiting for the doctor, we joked about what the babies gender would be. Just a few days before we had put in an offer on a home and it was accepted. Things seemed to be falling into place perfectly. It was crazy that in just a few minutes we would find out what we were having and be able to start narrowing down names and nursery themes/ideas.

The doctor came in and we followed him to the ultrasound room. He placed the Doppler on my belly and we saw one of the twins, again we all began throwing out our guesses. The doctor continued to look but not say anything, he then pulled the Doppler off and said "Sundee, things aren't looking so good." My heart sank. He continued "I need to look closely at some more things, are you okay if I continue?" As I replied, I hoped that whatever he saw was just a fluke and that things would be okay. He again placed the Doppler on my belly and asked if I would like him to tell me what he was seeing. I told him “Yes, please tell me everything.” Crying my mom stood up and came to my side and held my hand. The doctor said "This is where I should see the heart beat. I'm going to do some contrast to see if there is any blood flow." Nothing. I was holding back the tears in hopes that the other twin was okay. Chris also came to my side at this point. As he moved to the other twin he found the same thing. Hundreds of emotions ran through all of us, my mom said "it just can't be."

Sundee was induced a couple of days later and delivered two baby boys.

Harvey & Johnathan Wilson

4 oz and 7 inches

"I know will always have little mementos to remember them and how special each of us (Chris, Harvey, Johnathan and I) are to each other. Still to this day I dream that things would have changed and that I would have been able to raise them here on earth. Nevertheless, I know that because of this blessing and my faith I will be able to see my boys again and raise them in the millennium. I know that my Heavenly Father and my boys knew that I would be well taken care of.

I haven’t had a day yet when someone asks me how I am doing. People have told me that they are amazed at our bravery, but in all honesty I am strong because of those many people and friends who are looking out for me. Our boys will always be in our hearts. My mom spent a week with us at our house, taking care of us. I know her heart aches for me and for the loss of the grand-babies, we have never had a miscarriage in our family, it had been a totally different experience for everyone. I am so grateful that the Lord trusted me enough to carry these boys to the point where they needed to return to him. Again, I am grateful and so blessed to have such loving friends and family to support me through this time. I am deeply sadden of the thought of not raising my boys, but I am grateful for the eternal marriage that Chris and I have to that we will be able to return to heaven and reunite with our sweet Harvey and Johnathan."

Congratulations Chris & Sundee! Santiago loves the idea of painting two vintage fighter planes with their names on it.

Upcoming Show - Celebation Of Fine Art

2011-10-05T22:23:00.001-06:00

*stay tuned - the winner of the give-away will be announced next week!

We are very excited to announce that Santiago has been accepted into the Celebration Of Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona! Its a show that runs for 11 weeks and Santiago will be packing up all his paintings and leaving behind the cold, Utah weather, for the warmth of Arizona. Things have been a little busy around here as Santi is already in full preparation mode, but it will be an amazing opportunity.

Celebration Of Fine Art

Scottsdale, AZ

Jan 14th - Mar 25th 2012

"I'm already excited about meeting new people and having a chance to share my work in a totally different environment. VW enthusiasts always have great stories to share and I am sure the people I meet in Scottsdale will not disappoint."

If you are in the Scottsdale area we hope to see you there!

Give-Away

2011-09-07T22:41:00.000-06:00

As a special thanks to everyone that has become a fan on facebook we are going to do a give-away!

Here's a little background...

Santiago has been so touched lately by stories of people's triumph over life's challenges that he wants to give away a 14x18 oil painting to a deserving person that you nominate. Maybe its someone who has beat unbeatable odds, been affected by a terminal illness, had a near death experience or lost a loved one. Whatever their story is we want to hear about it! Santiago will paint a custom piece just for the winner.

Here's what you need to do...

'Like' Santiago Michalek Fine Art (if you haven't already)

'Share' the give-away on your facebook status (and include a link to the Fine Art page). The easiest way to do this is by clicking 'share' on the bottom of the left column from the Santiago Michalek Fine Art page

Email your nomination to lizzielovesbugs @ hotmail.
*Anyone who shares this contest with their friends on facebook is eligible to submit one nomination.

You can nominate any individual or family (including yourself)
Please include a brief summary of their circumstances/story
Include pictures or links to their blog/web-site if possible
List any suggestions of what they would like for their painting

The winner will be selected on September 17th - that's just 10 days away.

Kimball Arts Festival

2011-08-31T22:09:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago we headed up to Park City for the Kimball Arts Festival. It was the perfect afternoon and we enjoyed all of the booths and the fun atmosphere.

Of course we stopped by the Meyer Gallery to see Santiago's show again.

Tom (of the Meyer Gallery) & Santiago talking about Tom's days in the Olympics

We stopped for ice cream - this was moments before Our Little Artists ice cream ended up on the
ground and his smile turned into tears.

La Artista got worn out.

Blast From The Past

2011-08-25T19:23:00.003-06:00

From time to time Santiago will hear from an old friend about a drawing/painting he did for them in junior high or high school. It was more often then not a horse because that was his obsession. It's always fun to reminisce and see his work from the early years!

This is a piece that Santiago drew for Brian Prescott in January of 1990. We were excited that Brian sent us a picture of it! This is what he said "A Michalek original! Just went through a box from my youth and found this pic you drew for me in fifth grade."

Here is another message we received from Amanda

"I don't know if you remember the horse you drew for my mother years ago? She told me that you worked and worked on getting it just right and that your grandfather advised you on getting the shape and dimensions of it. She had it framed and it has hung in my daughter Skye's room (above her head so as to give her sweet dreams) ever since. She has been inspired by the drawing and to say she loves horses is an understatement. She still studies the drawing and inspects it and is becoming quite the little horse artist herself :). I just wanted you to know we were thrilled to have the drawing then and still cherish it today. I never got to tell you thank you!!! Thank you for sharing your light and your talents!!! Your gifts are farther reaching than you can know!"

If you have any of Santiago's artwork from the past we would love to hear from you! Pictures are only a bonus for us but we would love those too!

Your Calling In Life

2011-08-17T19:53:00.000-06:00

Santiago was recently featured on a blog called What Is Your Calling In Life? This is an inspiring blog written by a local gentleman who also happens to be an art collector. We have really enjoyed getting to know Jeff and appreciate that he took the time to get to know Santiago and write about him on his blog.

visit yourlifecalling.blogspot.com to view the original post

If You Think You are Too Vanilla to Have a Calling... (Part 2)

One of the great falsehoods of contemporary life, fueled by the cult of celebrity, is that you must be exceptional to have a calling. Our media gives us a constant diet of technological wizards, newly discovered talent idols, and celebrity chefs. Watch enough brilliant people give TED talks, and it’s easy to conclude, “Well, I’m just not that special.”

When we equate callings with jaw-dropping talent, Martin Luther rolls over in his grave. He introduced the idea of calling during the Reformation, and what he meant was that every one of us – including the humblest – have a calling, which is simply to use whatever resources we’ve been given to bless God’s children. Callings are not the privilege of the exceptional, but the province of the ordinary.

“OK,” you might respond, “that’s all well and good. But my talent is so run-of-the-mill that I just blur into the landscape. How can I make a difference doing X if a thousand other people are just as good at it, if not better than me?”

Here’s where I’d like to introduce my new friend – Santiago Michalek – who gave me some novel insights. Santiago is a young artist who is exceptionally gifted. At a recent art show, I encountered the following painting (reproduced here with Santiago’s permission). It stopped me dead in my tracks – in part because it was so stunning, and in part because it reminded me of my time in Ghana.

But Santiago is just one of countless talented young artists trying to make their mark on the world. Unfortunately, just having a talent for painting is not enough to give most artists the elusive opportunity for popular success. That’s true of most of the rest of us as well. We can’t really hope to be the best in the world at (or sometimes even get noticed for) something that a lot of other people do.

Let’s look at another of Santiago’s pieces, though. This one is much more representative of the work that he is currently doing.

I must admit that when I first saw Santiago’s Volkswagen work, it didn’t do much for me. I’m not really a car person, and I didn’t immediately see the aesthetics in this kind of art. Later, though, I learned that Santiago is not just an artist. He’s also a passionate restorer of old VWs. He has studied and mastered their anatomy as thoroughly as he has mastered the anatomy of the human figures he draws. Learning about Santiago's mechanical passion gave me an entirely different perspective on his art. I noticed that his VW paintings seem to caress each old car with light (pay attention to the amazing reflections and overlays of light on the windshield and front of the van, for instance). In Santiago’s work, the rusting hull of a beat-up bug isn’t a discarded relic, but a thing to be restored and revitalized – kind of like people who sometimes feel defeated by life. That was meaningful to me. And to the many people who are quasi-religious in their devotion to old VWs (I’m related to a couple of them!), Santiago’s art represents a truly unique contribution. As far as he knows, he is the only artist who has combined a passion for painting with a passion for VW restoration, and his VW paintings are the ones that are opening up the most doors in his promising future career.

(Check out Santiago's other work here, or his blog here.)

For me, the takeaway was very crisp. We don’t discover our calling by figuring out what our one talent is. We discover our calling when we explore the intersection of our various talents. Like the innumerable combinations of DNA that make us unique, each of us has a mind-boggling complexity of gifts, abilities, interests, and viewpoints. Your combination of gifts is as unique as your fingerprint. There never has been and never again will be someone in the world who has your particular repertoire of dispositions and abilities! The world needs that combination, and can’t get it anywhere else but from you.

So if you feel like you are just one of many who are soldiering along in your work, stop and take inventory of your gifts. Think very, very broadly. If you are an accountant, what talents and abilities will make you a different flavor of accountant than anyone else? If you are a secretary, how can you use your array of gifts to be the only secretary quite like you? No painter is just a painter. And nobody is just vanilla. Your flavor is a very complex one (as a celebrity chef might say). And that’s what will make your calling unique.

The Kleinbus Series - A Post From Santiago

2011-08-11T16:00:00.001-06:00

I had a lot of fun at the show and want to thank everyone that was able to come opening night. I loved hearing so many fun and interesting stories about the subject matter that was my inspiration for The Kleinbus Series. If you havent had a chance to see the show yet it will be hanging at The Meyer Gallery for at least another week. After so many months painting to prepare for the show I am glad that so many pieces have sold! Since the show I have enjoyed relaxing for a few days but preparations for my next show in December are already in full swing.

Our 2nd Little Artist

2011-07-06T22:33:00.001-06:00

We are happy to announce the arrival of La Artista. She was born on June 13th - 7 lbs 15 oz and is a perfect dainty version of her brother.

We are all doing well and adjusting to having this sweet addition to our family. Our Little Artist is thrilled about his sister and is already teaching her how to paint.

The Artist's Magazine Competition

2011-06-30T15:40:00.002-06:00

Santiago received an email from the editor of The Artist's Magazine and this is what she said:

"Congratulations! Your artwork, Split 51 bug, has been selected as a finalist in the Landscape/Interior category of The Artist's Magazine 28th Annual Art Competition."

He will be featured in the December 2011 edition of the magazine!

Upcoming Show

2011-06-24T00:19:00.000-06:00

To receive a hard copy of this invitation email michy328@hotmail.com with your mailing address or leave a comment here.

Deseret News Announces Spring Salon Winners

2011-06-16T11:45:00.001-06:00

This article featured in the Deseret News highlights some of the history of the Spring Salon at the Springville Art Museum and also lists Santiago as a Merit Award winner.

A Salon to see: Annual art show in Springville draws more than 1,000 entrants

visit Deseret News to view the complete article
by Carma Wadley

Now in its 87th year, the Spring Salon is also a sign that Utah is continuing to grow a rich and vibrant art community. "Best show ever," says museum director Vern Swanson, as he should. The show is supposed to get better every year, as local artists continue to hone their skills and raise the bar of excellence.

What makes this year's show so exciting is not only the number of works in the show — 253 — but also, the variety of style: landscape, abstract, portraiture, fantasy and more; and the variety of media: oil, wood, acrylic, steel, graphite, mixed media, photography, bronze, crayon, pastel, assemblage, watercolor, ceramic, silver gelatin, and so on. "This year's show is absolutely phenomenal in terms of variety and scale," says Ashlee Whitaker, associate curator for the show. "There really is something for everyone."

Although there are about the same number of works as in past years, the exhibition fills all the galleries on the main floor and spills over into a couple of galleries on the upper floor, she says, mainly because "the physical size of many of the pieces is much larger." But her excitement about the show is not just about size. "The quality is simply outstanding," says Whitaker. "We really feel like it is a visual representation of the Utah art scene, how it is expanding, how it is producing quality works in all media and styles."

That has been the goal of the Spring Salon from the very first. The first salon was initiated by Virgil O. Hafen, the son of artist and museum-founder John Hafen, who had returned from studying art in Paris in 1920. While in France, he had been introduced to the salon idea and went to Springville High School with the idea of hosting a similar event.

In February 1921, the school put together an experimental show, which was so well-received, the first official Salon was launched the next year. That first exhibition featured only Utah artists. But in 1923, it was expanded to include out-of-state artists, as well. The purchase prize was increased to $500, and invitations were sent to leading artists throughout the country.

The Spring Salon proved popular with viewers. By 1927, more than 40,000 people came to view the show, and by 1937, some 60,000 attended the Salon — especially impressive when you consider the population of Springville in 1940 was only 4,777. It has been held every year since, except for three years during World War II, when shipping restrictions and gasoline rationing made it impractical. The show has come full-circle, says Whitaker. "Now we again restrict it to Utah artists, or those with Utah ties, and even with that we more than have our hands full."

This year 1,008 works were entered into the show; finalists were selected by jurors Adam Price, director of the Salt Lake Art Center, and Philipp Malzl, a professor of art history at BYU. The Salon is still considered Utah's premier fine art exhibition and is always a highlight at the museum, Whitaker says.

What is so fun, she says, is that "every year you see a lot familiar names, many of whom are among Utah's most-honored artists."

87th Annual Spring Salon Awards

• Jurors' First-Place Award: Jeffrey Robert Pugh, "Skyscrapers & Cowpies."
• Jurors' Second-Place Awards: Shea Guevara, "Back Alley;" David W. Meikle, "The Grand Canyon."
• Jurors' Third-Place Awards: Sandy Freckleton Gagon, "She Remembered She Could Fly;" Travis Richard Tanner, "New York Stock Exchange;" Sunny B. Taylor, "Horizon."

Merit Awards: Bruce B. Allen, "Cereal Food Processors;" Mark Bangerter, "Men With Crabs;" Nathan L. Barnes, "Emergent World;" Erin Westenskow Berrett, "Gatekeeper;" John P. Berry, "Rabbit Brush;" Darci Bertelsen, "Alex;" Ryan S. Brown, "A Painter's Inspiration;" Fidalis David Buehler, "Goodman's View: Danger Sliding Rock;" Brian Angus Buroker, "Garden Fantasy;" Heather Campbell, "Lost Treasure;" Larry W. Christensen, "Entering Gethsamane;" M. Morgan Coleman, "Evening Pasture;" Suzanne M. Conine, "Red River;" Mark Douglas Crenshaw, "Sheep;" Blue Critchfield, "Maximizing Happiness;" David Dornan, "Abstract-o-matic;" Deon Duncan, "Portentous;" John O. Erickson, "Summer's Child;" Peter M. Fillerup, "Hard and Fast All the Way;" Edward J. Fraughton, "Monarch of the Plains;" Sharon R. Gray, "Puns, Portraits and Parodies II," Carolyn Guild, "Spirit of Water — No. 1;" John Lytle Helton, "Symphony of Flight;" Mary Beth Hogue, "Maple Symphony;" Craig Neil Hone, "Night Shift;" Mark Missman and Jason Bullard, "He Grew in Wisdom and Stature;" Gerald Theodore Johnson, "Shrouded City;" Brian Thomas Kershisnik, "We Were Artists in Danger;" Steven B. Kropp, "Desert Solitude;" Santiago H. Michalek, "Murphy's Wholesale, Something, Something, Something;" Travis B. Miller, "Spiral Trout;" Anne Morgan-Jespersen, "In the Zone — Mr. Superharp: Colton James;" Matthew Carl Nelson, "The Secret World of Onions;" Carl Randsom Owens, "Passing the Time;" David Roy Pendell, "#1, Going Back Series;" Denis Phillips, "Untitled #17;" Ian M. Ramsay, "Columbia Dock;" Anton J. Rasmussem, "Temple Mountain;" Bruce Dean Robertson, "Camden;" Steven K. Sheffield, "Half Moon Rising;" Sophie Soprano, "24th of July Parade, Spring City;" Anders Sorensen, "Forgotten Windmill;" Shirley Tegan, "Grounded;" Leslie Thomas, "Big Lump;" Dahrl Thomson, "Double Eagle;" Terrel J. Van Leeuwen, "3 Cars;" Adrian Van Suchtelen, "Vanitas: Snowbird Tiger Moth;" Adrian Thomas Waggoner, "Once Upon Ohio;" Anne C. Weber, "Rocky Hillside;" Michael Workman, "Watsatch Front."

Art Slam 2011

2011-06-08T12:58:00.000-06:00

Last week Santiago had the opportunity to be one of the artist to participate in the first annual Art Slam at the Springville Art Museum. He spent the day painting a portrait of our little artist and meeting lots of people from the community along with other local artists.

Santiago is featured in this video the DailyHerald produced about the event.

It was a great event and a wonderful opportunity for Santiago. At the end of the day we went to see the final pieces on display and our little artist was so excited to see that his daddy had painted him.

Art Show Recap

2011-06-03T12:51:00.000-06:00

The barn is not just Santiago's art studio it is also where he restores VW busses much like the ones he paints. So to get ready for the show it involved switching stages from auto restoration to art production.

Adding some additional track lighting.

Kirk and all the students burning a little midnight oil to get everything set up.

Showing the final touches on one of the pieces for the show with his current restoration project in the background.

We had such a great turn out. We estimate that around 300 people attended! In case you missed it, here are a few shots from the night of the show.

Thank you to everyone that was able to come and support us!

Art Show Details

2011-05-20T22:50:00.000-06:00

Saturday, May 21st

6-9 pm

Nude figure work will be shown in Santiago's studio

268 E 350 S Provo,

all other pieces will be shown just a few blocks away at the

Carriage House Mill showroom 560 S 100 W Provo.

The presale 20% discount will run until 6 pm on Saturday

Art Show Sneak Peek & Presale

2011-05-18T14:37:00.006-06:00

Here are 23 of Santiago's 40 pieces that will be at the art show this Saturday, May 21st. The show will feature some of Santiago's work along with 5 other local artists. Any pieces purchased prior to 6 pm on Saturday will receive a 20% presale discount. Please leave a comment if you are interested in purchasing any one of these pieces or if you would like to see the additional paintings that will be for sale.

Figurative and Fish Paintings

African School Girl (20x24) - Oil - $1850

"The Reconnoitering" Sargent Copy (22x28) - Oil - $2000

Bootblacks in Ghana (8x12) - Oil - $800

Catholic Woman (20x24) - Oil - $1850

Red & White Ranchu (5x7) - Oil - $500

Red & White Ryukin #2 (5x7) - Oil - $500

Motion Study Life (12x17) - Oil - $900

Volkswagen Paintings

23 Window Barndoor (30x40) - Oil - $4000

57 PG/SG color study #2 (5x6) - Oil - $450

52 Split in a Field (5x7) - Oil - $500

Dove Blue Delivery barndoor Study (30x40) - Oil - $4000

Green Westfalia front & back (14x18) 2 piece set - Oil - $2200

Dental Supply bus (11x18) - Oil - $950

Panel Bus Welding (14x18) - Oil - $1200

Retired Panel Bus (14x18) - Oil - $1200

Nude Figure Paintings

Adriana Reclining Nude study (20x29) - Oil - $1900

Sitting Adriana Life study (14x18) - Oil - $950

Adriana Life study (10x12) - Oil - $650

Jen Life study (10x14) - Oil - $650\

Orange Adriana Life study (8x10) - Oil - $450

Figure Drawing (18x24) - Bottle green in Nu Pastel - $350

Adriana (18x24) - Bottle green in Nu Pastel - $350

Christmas Gift - A Post From Santiago

2011-05-16T14:50:00.001-06:00

This Friday, May 21st, is the first art show I will be having in the barn and preparations are in full force here. Details for the show can be found here and please know you are all invited and I would love to see you there!

Aside from that I recently completed the unfinished painting I gave to my wife for Christmas. I had never painted Elizabeth before and it was a whole different experience (and pretty intimidating) to paint someone that knows me better than anyone else, and in turn someone I know so well.

We have been talking for years about exactly what she wanted and narrowed it down to something that portrayed her Irish heritage and the work ethic of her ancestors. We started at the local Hale Center Theatre and sorted through their rooms of costumes until we found one that matched what we had in mind (although not the color we were wanting). Then we headed up the canyon near Dear Creek Reservoir for a photo shoot.

We also took some shots on our property with the help of 'our little artist' and our newfie.

Here is the photo I ended up using as reference and the finished painting. Elizabeth was very happy about the final product and the best part is we will have this piece to display in our home instead of sending it off to a gallery or show.

Kirk Richard's Class

2011-05-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

Santiago has had the privilege of taking a figure drawing class from J. Kirk Richards. It has been a great experience for him to learn from, and associate with, an amazing local artist and businessman. And one of the most exciting things is that the class has been meeting in the barn!

Don't forget about the upcoming show featuring Kirk Richards and his advanced figure painting students -Saturday, May 21st at our barn 268 East 350 South Provo.

Spring Salon 2011

2011-04-21T11:41:00.004-06:00

Santiago entered two paintings into the Springville Art Museum's 87th Annual Spring Salon. Here he is with his good friend Frank securing the frame at the last minute. I literally took this picture at 4:15 and they had until 5:00 to get it to the museum. Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

"52 Split Bug"

We were very excited to find out that both of his pieces got in! The spring salon starts tomorrow, Friday the 22nd if you want to see the show in person. Congratulations to our fellow artists and friends Sunny Taylor, Darci Bertelsen and Mark Crenshaw for getting in as well!

"Murphy's Wholesale Something Something Something" won an Award of Merit!

You're Invited!

2011-04-13T14:54:00.000-06:00

Hope you can make it for our first show in the barn!

It's Finished!

2011-04-07T10:29:00.002-06:00

Over the last 8 months, in between painting, Santiago has been diligently working to build his new studio and it is now officially completed! We are excited about all of the possibilities - classes, shows, and parties that we can host here.

Here are a few pictures of the process.

With a lot of help from family and friends Santiago has taken our empty lot and built an amazing 1200 sq ft studio complete with radiant heat, a bathroom, track lighting, and plenty of space to paint.

A special thanks to everyone that has made this possible! We hope that many people within the art community will be able to enjoy and benefit from this space.

Diediker's Painting

2011-03-30T09:50:00.001-06:00

This is a video that Santiago's teacher and mentor Sean Diediker put together revealing his Condition No.3 painting. At minute 2:50 you will see the spot where Sean was when the inspiration for the painting came, and it just so happens that Santiago was there in New York under the Brooklyn Bridge with him at that very moment.

The video is a great way to understand Sean's process and I love how he leaves the meaning of this piece up to your own interpretation.

The Spring Salon 2011

2011-03-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

Santiago has been painting like crazy in preparation for the 87th Annual Spring Salon at the Springville Art Museum.

We were excited to see his piece from last year featured on the entry form!

Southwest Magazine Interview

2011-03-18T10:00:00.002-06:00

Several months ago I got a text from Santiago it said

"I just got off the phone from spending over an hour with the editor of Southwest Art magazine doing an interview - it was awesome!"

He couldn't wait to tell me about their phone conversation and I could tell he was really excited about it.
This is what was published in the November issue of Southwest Art.

What inspired your winning entry? I restore Volkswagens. I’ve been around them for years and know them inside and out. My favorite model is the PG/SG 57. It’s Volkswagen slang. It means Palm Green/Sand Green 1957. I wanted to do a really big painting. It’s such an iconic vehicle, I knew there didn’t need to be much else but the bus to inspire some emotion in people.

How did you get interested in Volkswagens? I’m from Argentina, and they aren’t super-popular there, so I fell into it by accident. When I got married, I needed a car and bought a red 1979 convertible bug to fix up. After that I started buying VWs, fixing them up, and selling them for cash. People stop by all the time when I’m working on them. A lot of people have memories connected to VWs—like when they were kids and they piled in a bus to go camping.

Do you come from an artistic background? We are all pretty artistic in my family. My brother is an animator, and my aunt and grandmother paint.

Where did you study art? Bridge Academy of Art in Provo, UT.

What is your favorite subject matter, and why? Right now it would be the human figure and Volkswagen buses. I feel like I have a human connection with the buses. As I restore them, I see the engineering side and the structural side first hand, and that helps me to paint them.

What is the best advice you have ever received? From artist Sean Diediker: “When you think you are 80 percent done with your painting, you are done.”

What is the one thing people will never see you paint? Something completely abstract. I see the value there, but for me it holds no interest or challenge.

Future goals? I would love to just paint full time in my studio. I am building a new one in my back yard, and
would love to support my family by painting.

Representation: Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT; www.santiagomichalek.com.

A special thanks to Bonnie! Too bad its difficult to portray Santiago's sense of humor in an interview/publication like that because I know he would have loved if people could get a hint of his sarcasm and laugh, even if just to themselves, about his down to earth and honest approach to his art and life in general.

Give-Away Follow-Up

2011-01-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

We were able to deliver two of the paintings to the give-away winners who live here locally and shipped one off to California. In case you were curious here are the pieces that were chosen:

First place - Female Life

Second place - Split Bug #3

Third place - Green Pear

Details for the next give-away are already in the works and we are excited to include all of our fans in nominating deserving contestants. Stay tuned!

A Painting Of Us?

2011-01-12T09:42:00.003-07:00

Brian Kershisnik is an artist we have really come to love and appreciate. He has a great sense of humor and ability to portray that in his depiction of daily life. The first time we saw this painting we both thought it looked just like us and a common scenario from our house.

The only difference is that Our Little Artist always wants to be in the middle of the hugging action, and our dog is a Newfoundland not a lab.

A few weeks ago we got to see this other piece of Krishisnik's at The Meyer Gallery before it got shipped off to the lucky new owner. It's titled The Gravity and with Little Artist #2 on the way we both thought it was rather comical. Plus, she's a red-head!

Announcing The Winners

2010-12-01T11:00:00.009-07:00

After busily verifying all the entries, we assigned each entry a random number, and then using random.org generated three (you heard me three not just one) completely random winners!

Without further ado here they are...

First place goes to Michelle

Second place goes to Kevin Eckhart

Third place goes to Galo Fab 5

Congratulations!!!

Please email your painting selection and shipping information to lizzielovesbugs @ hotmail. Now because we have three winners this is how it will work - first place will get to select which painting they want first, then second place, and finally third place will get to choose from the remaining paintings. 2nd & 3rd place - we will let you know if the painting you select is no longer available so you can choose another one.

Thanks for all your entries and support with the give-away! We had such a good response we will cetainly be doing it again!

Give-Away!

2010-11-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

It's time for the give-away!

We want to say "thanks" to everyone that has become a fan, is following the blog, or has supported Santiago in anyway, and what better way is there then doing a contest to win one of Santiago's original oil paintings!

The winner can choose any one of these original pieces. They are all oil paintings.

Green Pear (9x9)

Split Bug #3 (9x9)

Josh head study (6x8)

57 PG/SG color study (5x7)

Black Moor (7x5)

Female Life (11x9)

Each person can have up to 5 entries, all entries will be tracked through the blog. The contest will run for 3 weeks and one random winner will be selected on November 30, 2010 (just in time for Christmas) and we will announce the lucky person here on the blog.

please, please, please read this - YOU MUST LEAVE A SEPERATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY TO COUNT (this is how we select the winner and if you only leave one comment you will only have one entry!)

So here's how you can enter to win. We tried to make it easy and fun - I promise!

One. Visit Santiago's website http://www.santiagomichalek.com/ and determine which painting/drawing is your favorite. Leave a comment here on the blog with the name of that piece.

Two. 'Like' Santiago Michalek Fine Art on facebook and then leave a comment here on the blog that you are now following his facebook page OR if you are already a fan, just leave a comment here saying "I am a faithful facebook fan," or something along those lines.

Three. Suggest to your friends that they 'like' Santiago Michalek Fine Art. Visit the facebook page here and click on 'suggest to friends' under the picture in the top left hand corner. Once you have succesfully sent the suggestion to your friends leave a comment here letting us know.

Four. Tell your friends about this amazing give-away by posting about it on your facebook status update (be sure to include a link back here to the blog). Once you do that, come back here and tell us about it by leaving a comment.

Five. Post about about the give-away on your blog. When you leave a comment letting us know about your fifth and final entry you must include the link to your blog post in order for your entry to count. The more details you provide on your blog the better and we would love to see pictures posted of the paintings that will be given away.

Bonus entry. Yep there is another easy way to enter to win! Become a follower of the blog and then leave another comment telling us that you are now a follower or already were a follower.

Now there is one more really exciting part - if we get more than 500 entries (not people just individual entries) we will be giving away three pieces! That's a first, second, and third place! Three seperate winners rather than just one!

Good luck! Any questions? If so email lizzielovesbugs@hotmail.com

Remember - YOU MUST LEAVE A SEPERATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY TO COUNT

*If you do not have a google account to sign in, please leave an anonymous comment and write in your first name and last initial.

*we will ship anywhere in the continental US. Out of country contestants are welcome to enter, but will be responsible for the actual shipping cost.
*all entries are subject to verification

A Special Announcement From Our Little Artist

2010-11-24T08:00:00.002-07:00

We pause the give-away to bring you a special announcement..

Barn Update - A Post From Santiago

2010-11-04T08:00:00.021-06:00

This is the extent of my artistic expression on paper for the last week. No, it's not anything that will be going to a gallery, but it is a drawing of the final steps to finish enclosing the barn. I designed and built these doors from the extra wood we had left over and I am very pleased with how they turned out in real life. There is still so much to do but at the same time I am getting so close. As I am working on all the final touches, one of the main things that keeps me motivated is the thought of finally being able to paint and have drawing sessions inside the barn. I am constantly thinking about how I will set things up and considering the areas where there will be the best lighting. In the meantime I have windows to install, wood siding to get up, endless staining and sealing projects, and lots more. I'm really looking forward to being able to get back to what I love most and just be able to paint!

Under Paintings

2010-11-02T09:20:00.001-06:00

Conference weekend always means at least 8 solid hours of painting for Santiago. He locks himself in his studio, listening to the broadcast of the LDS General Conference over the radio, while he paints.

The plethora of panels are turning into under paintings - all part of the process of getting ready for his upcoming show.

Diediker Book Release Party

2010-10-27T07:00:00.001-06:00

This past weekend we had the opportunity of attending Sean Diediker's book release party. It was a great event and I especially enjoyed seeing many of his original pieces that I had not seen before. We consider it an honor to know Sean. He is a great teacher and mentor!

Here is the book summary - This book presents a chronicle of the artist’s ground-breaking initiative to harness the power of social media in the creation of his art. Using Facebook as his primary means of communication, Diediker, a prominent Utah artist, created a group page called the Wax Onion Collaborative, opened the page to the public so that anyone could join the group, and effectively rendered his studio a global forum in which to garner collaborative influences from around the world. Well over a thousand participants accepted his invitation, and all were offered the opportunity to directly provide their insights and opinions on his encaustic artwork during its creation. The result: a comprehensive yearlong collaborative effort with richly diverse global influences that resulted in a striking series of limited edition encaustic plates unrivaled by any artwork seen in creation today. Delving further into Diediker’s passion for the vast array of mark-making, the book also presents a collection of Diediker’s visually arresting larger body of artwork, including his Dollar Bill series and his evocative, unforgettable oil paintings. Part natural and cultural history, part symbol of the evolution of human communication, this book elevates the standard "Art Book" to a broadly encompassing celebration of a vital new era in the creation and perception of art.

Art Review By The Goncourt Brothers

2010-10-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

The Goncourt Brothers recently published a review of the 86th Annual Spring Salon. Here is what they had to say about Santiago's VW piece.

Santiago H. Michalek, P6/S6 57 Microbus (2010) Oil on board.

This painting may be seen as a tribute to a motor vehicle that has achieved cultlike status in automotive history. The straight-forward presentation of what can oddly enough be described as the ‘sitter’ in this ‘portrait’ suggests that Michalek attempted to anthropomorphize the German bus - to make it human-like. Previously, only Walt Disney has successfully managed this seemingly impossible feat with the animated film “Cars” (2006).

Museum Manners

2010-10-21T15:50:00.000-06:00

Several months ago when we went to see Santiago's painting at the Springville Art Museum, our little artist may or may not have walked right up to it and hit it really hard. We need to work on the museum manners - rule #1 do not hit the paintings (even if its your dad's painting).

Coincidentally our little artist looked exactly like the cupids in this painting and was being just as mischievious.

Needless to say, it became necessary for us to exit the premises when one of the curators started talking to Santiago about his piece.

But, our little artist didn't mind a bit!

An Original Taylor!

2010-10-07T08:15:00.001-06:00

I was thrilled to recently add a couple of Justin Taylor paintings to our collection. Maybe thrilled is an understatement, it's more like absolutely ecstatic!

This was the first painting of Justin's that made me fall in love with his artwork "Flux."

A few weeks ago when we went to his show at The Meyer Gallery I confessed to Santiago that someday I want Justin to paint our portraits. I say confessed because I almost felt guilty telling my talented husband that I wanted someone else to paint us. But Santiago didn't mind, and we are both agreed. In the meantime we get to enjoy these two pieces.

I can't wait to get them framed and hung up!

Tuesday's - A Post By Santiago

2010-10-05T08:45:00.000-06:00

Every Tuesday night at 5:00 I make the drive out to Spanish Fork for the figure drawing class that Sean Diediker teaches out of his studio. Some nights it's hard to pull away from the barn construction, but we are making a lot of progress! It wont be much longer until I can be back to painting more. I have this idea to do an acutal size Volkswagen bus painting and the barn will be the perfect place to set the stage.

In the meantime, for the last several weeks, we have been painting and studying fabric folds in Sean's class. Of course I love anything that involves drawing/painting the human figure, plus this meant doing another study of Sargent.

Here is the original.

Here is my study.

Deseret News Announced Winners

2010-09-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

It might be old news but, I came across this article in the Deseret News announcing Santiago as one of the Merit Award recipients. You can see his name on the bottom left.

In The Newsletter

2010-09-27T08:00:00.003-06:00

If you havent had a chance to sign up for The Meyer Gallery newsletter yet, here are a couple of reasons why you might want to add yourself to their mailing list.

Santiago is one of The Meyer Gallery artists and it has been a priviledge to work with such a reputable gallery that has been in business for over 45 years! You can see the his pieces that are currently for sale and the ones that he has already sold on their web-site.

Art On Vacation

2010-09-24T08:00:00.003-06:00

Every summer we spend a wonderful couple of week's with all of Santiago's family (24 and a half of us) vacationing on the beach in Mexico. That means lots of time to relax and paint.

Santiago plein air painting on the beach summer 2009

This year Santiago's brother Leo posed for several hours so Santiago could paint him. They even rigged it so he could play FIFA soccer on the X-Box (one of their favorite games) to help pass the time.

They also took hundreds of pictures of 'our little artist' just doing his thing. Santiago oil painted while Leo sketched. The amazing thing about 'our little artist's' 2-year-old body is how round his little belly is and how child-like his mannerisms are which is evident especially in the way he balances the weight of his body and movement. He was so cute running around in just his diaper and dad's socks.

Santiago patiently walked me through my first painting. Apparently being around, and being able to recognize artistic talent doesn't make you a natural artist - that's for sure! Santiago was an amazing teacher and it was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an afternoon together on vacation.

We put Santiago's artistic talent to good use for our chin people skit and to make a RISK game from scratch when we discovered the board game got left at home. What can I say? He is a very versitile artist!

Live Your Dream

2010-09-22T10:00:00.002-06:00

Santiago was recently asked to donate a painting to the Live Your Dream Scholarship that provides college tuition scholarships to single mothers. They were having a silent auction to raise money for the scholarship and wanted one of Santiago's pieces! His was the only original art piece featured in the auction.

We thoroughly enjoyed attending the gala that evening. I'll never forget when the little 70 year old lady sitting next to me leaned over and said "your husband looks like a movie star." It's true - he did!

This is the sweet thank you note we got from the auction winner

"Hey I just wanted to thank you again for the painting. That is the first piece of original artwork I have ever owned :) It makes me smile every time I see it, I just love that painting. I just wanted you to know how happy it makes me to own one of your paintings."

We were happy to help a good cause even in just a small way.

Show At Meyer Gallery

2010-09-20T16:00:00.007-06:00

Over Labor Day weekend we went to Park City for the "Mirror, Mirror" show at The Meyer Gallery. It was a compilation of 10 artist's portrayal of the human figure and the human condition.

We went to see Justin Taylor & Brian Kershisnik's work but it was a pleasant surprise to walk up and see Santiago's pieces hanging in the front window!

We just love Justin Taylor's style and this is why - he is so amazing!

It was a great night and wonderful to spend time with so many talented artists!

Feature In POW Magazine

2010-09-16T08:00:00.009-06:00

Santiago, along with a few other local artist, were recently featured in the Provo Orem Word Magazine. POW Magazine did an issue about the artistic portrayal of the body and one of Santiago's figure drawings got a 2 page spread!

This is the quote they included from Santiago. "Vanessa Motion Study" is the study of movement within a single figure in a two-dimensional image. This began with the model in a fixed pose. Every 10 minutes the model would shift slightly, this would continue for about 60 minutes. The end goal was to have an image that felt like motion without losing integrity of the figure.

It was an honor for him to be recognized by this local magazine! Their publisher/editor Rebecca Packard was gracious to include a thank you note in the publication - "Many thanks to the Bridge Academy artists whose included works illustrate the body's inspiration so well"

Plethora of Panels

2010-09-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

Santiago mentioned in a previous post that he is preparing for a show, but what he didn't tell you is how intense those preparations have been. This is the sight in the basement of our 90 year old home. He has been working on preparing over 50 panels of various sizes.

The process of getting them ready to paint involves 1) cutting the panel, 2) making the cradle, 3) gesso, 4) sanding, and 5) toning. The groundwork has been laid for the preparation and concept to come together. Can't wait to see the results!

A Picture Worth Painting

2010-09-11T08:00:00.015-06:00

Now this is a picture worth painting! Our little artist watching his daddy working on the barn while wearing his VW hat and Manchester United soccer jersey (two of Santiago's favorite things).

It was time for a snack but there was no dragging that boy away from the activity outside - he was so dirty and happy as can be! One of the first things his daddy said when he saw this picture was "I should paint that!"

Aside From Painting - A Post From Santiago

2010-09-09T08:00:00.029-06:00

Aside from planning and preparing for an upcoming show (more on that to come) I have been consumed with building our barn.

I started restoring Volkswagen's in 2003 out of our garage. Although I have been working out of a shop for the last few years, we thought it was a great time to build a place on our property.

This will eventually be where my VW restoration work will take place. But even more exciting, this will also be the staging place for many of my paintings and future shows.

Volkswagen's are a big part of my life and as much as I love restoring them, I love to paint them!

Even though my days (and nights) have been spent out working on the barn, my mind is racing with new ideas and plans for future paintings and every spare minute I have I am getting organized and ready to translate those ideas into new pieces.

Recent In Class Work

2010-09-07T08:00:00.004-06:00

This is Santiago's most recent oil painting from his head drawing class with Justin Taylor. This was completed in three 3 hour drawing sessions.

In process after week 2

Final product

Southwest Magazine

2010-09-03T08:00:00.002-06:00

Santiago recently entered the Southwest Art Magazine 21 over 31 contest. They select 21 emerging artists over the age of 31, that have never before been published, and Santiago won!

He will be published in the November issue and it is an honor to be recognized by such a reputable art magazine.

Santiago's Website

2010-09-02T08:15:00.003-06:00

A special thanks to VOJO Design for creating the Santiago Michalek Fine Art website

It's LIVE so be sure to check it out!

http://www.santiagomichalek.com/

The Big Apple

2010-08-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of June Santiago travelled to New York with The Bridge Academy. It was a wonderful opportunity to tour, see the sites, meet artists and gallery owners, and visit various museums.

So many things about the city were beautiful!

Some of his favorite paintings/artists.

The trip would not have been complete without a game of chess in Central Park.

Budding Artist

2010-08-28T15:00:00.001-06:00

Santiago started painted when he was three years old and had obvious talent from a very young age. Our son Kimball is only two and already showing an interest in painting.

We recently got him his own easle.

Here is a video of the 2nd time he picked up a paint brush. He has taken to it very naturally - of course he has seen his dad paint a lot.

His favorite thing to paint is busses - I wonder where he gets that from?!

Recent In Class Work

2010-08-27T08:00:00.004-06:00

These are some of Santiago's most recent in class paintings - most of which he only worked on for one class period or a couple of hours.

Kimball Arts Festival

2010-08-25T09:25:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we went to the Kimball Arts Festival in Park City, Utah. It is one of the top art festivals in the country and they had more 45,000 attendees.

All of the booths and exhibits were quite the site to see set up along Main Street.

At the top of Main we stopped by The Meyer Gallery. Santiago recently took several new pieces to the gallery, and we had not yet seen them hung up.

As soon as we walked in, there they were on the main wall of the main floor.

The large piece is the same one that he recently won the award of merit for at the Spring Salon at The Springville Art Museum and it looked great hung in the gallery!

Springville Art Museum

2010-02-22T02:33:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago the Springville Art Museum had a show featuring local schools. The focus being in-class work to showcase pieces depicting the curriculum and instruction of each school. A few of my pieces were displayed along with the other students from The Bridge Academy.

Other than the fact that they spelled my name wrong it was great to have the opportunity to show 3 of my pieces.

The Meyer Gallery

2010-01-17T22:22:00.008-07:00

Several months ago I started working on painting 24 pieces to present to Susan Meyer of Meyer Gallery.

The focus of the paintings were on 2 themes - Volkswagens and goldfish. Since I restore vintage Volkswagen busses for a living I get really passionate about painting them.

When I got the paintings out I was pleased that Susan had so many positive things to say and wanted me as a "Meyer Gallery Artist." You can see my work featured permanently at the gallery and online here.

Come See Me At Meyer Gallery

2009-12-01T08:27:00.005-07:00

This Friday, December 4th, The Bridge Academy has a show opening at the Meyer Gallery in Park City.

Please come to see the show - three of my most recent Volkswagen paintings will be featured. I'll be there most of the evening. 305 Main Street Park City, UT.

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement!

Figure Painting Class

2009-11-15T23:07:00.004-07:00

Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. you'll find me at The Bridge in the figure painting class taught by Justin Taylor. It's a new class that The Bridge is offering and we are currently working on an 8 week pose that I am pretty excited about.

One of the main reasons I am excited about this pose and painting is because of the model. She is an exceptional model because she poses her body excellently, she doesnt move, she gets back into her pose exactly and she doesnt have to do anything to look interesting. To top it off she has a unique renaissance look to her face that is awesome to paint. To find all of these things in a model is pretty rare. She is definitely one of my favorite models!

The other reason I am excited about this class is because my brother is taking it with me. Leo and I have not taken an art class together since Mr. Lewis' worthless AP art class in high school.

Justin requires us to be 100% accurate which means that we start with a pencil drawing. However, since this is a painting class I am choosing to draw on a gessoed masonite panel. That way I can easily make corrections when I need to, and I can also begin the painting process at any time. Here is a picture of the pencil drawing from the first week.

After the model has been accurately and academically rendered in pencil I can begin painting. The first step is to seal the drawing with "fix-it" spray so it doesn't smear. At the end of week 2, I completed the under painting. The under painting is basically re-drawing in paint. I chose to use burnt umber because I could tell I was going to use a lot of cool colors on her skin and that would help bring warmth and life to the finished painting. This is a picture of my painting after the second week.

I'll post updates on the progress of this piece.

Cover Spot On The Deseret News

2009-11-09T06:00:00.003-07:00

In case you missed it - I was recently on the cover of the local Deseret Newspaper! Well actually a small picture of me was imposed into the header, but that still counts as a cover spot right? And under the arts & entertainment section they featured a full page article about The Bridge Academy with this picture of me.

Click here to read the full article but here's just a small taste with a quote from me that they included.

For student Santiago Michalek, "it's all about exact representation. You have to measure 800 million times in your head. But it's all about accuracy. You need that when you do portraits, for example."

Sargent Replica

2009-11-01T18:24:00.005-07:00

The truth is I have tons of new work that I will be posting about over the coming weeks. The only problem is, with everything I have done recently, I just don't know where to start. So, I'm going to tell you about one of the assignments I was most excited about.

I have really come to love and respect the artist Sargent. In working with Sean, and as part of the process of determining where I want to go and how I want to paint, my assignment was to replicate a Sargent painting exactly, stroke for stroke how he did it. This is the piece that I chose to use.

The goal - for me to learn how he problem solved through his process of painting. And this is a picture of my copy. I've very happy with how it turned out!

Art School

2009-11-01T17:06:00.007-07:00

I know it's been a while since I updated the blog but I will be updating it frequently now so check back often. Also note the new (and hopefully easier to remember) url.

The main reason for my blogging absence is that a few months ago I started attending The Bridge Academy Of Art here in Provo. It has been an amazing experience and opportunity. I have been so busy with evening and weekend classes but I'm learning so much! I will keep you up to date on the current paintings I am working on as well as my in class assignments.

As a full time student I am taking 4 classes - a design class from Sean Diediker, figure drawing from Adam Ford, a head drawing class from Justin Taylor, and a figure painting class also from Justin. I've included links to their blogs so you can check out their amazing work.

Aside from improving my technique and composition I am learning what I need to make this a successful career. The thing about The Bridge is that the teachers are professional artists. They take time out of their careers to teach us. This creates a very unique environment and just what I have been needing to take my art to the next level.

A Painting in a Day,... or two

2008-03-20T15:40:00.004-06:00

I really wanted to start and finish an oil painting in one night. Sometimes a painting can take months - that's a good thing, and bad at the same time. I'm not really sure how to describe it, but sometimes when I'm painting I get so caught up in the colors, shapes, textures that I loose sight of what I'm painting. I don't see the face anymore, the buildings, the tree. I then need to step away and leave the painting for another time. On occasion some of the passion for the oil painting gets lost, making it hard for me to finish, extending the duration for a completed work of art even more.

The thought of starting something and finishing it in one night is quite refreshing. Perhaps the end product is not as refined as it could be however, it's the rough powerful brush strokes that make it interesting as well; more passionate in a way. Having said that, it also has a lot more flaws. Anyway here is a dirty faced little boy I painted in a day,... or two.

Have you ever wondered where the great artistic masterpieces are created?

2008-03-03T00:41:00.009-07:00

If I asked myself that questions I wouldnt know the answer. My guess would be somewhere in Europe... but here is the place where it all happens for me. This is really the first time that I have had my own space; It is nothing fancy - my easel, desk, a few lights and a cd player. I have recently made some modifications to make it more comfortable and functional so that the focus is my art work and nothing else.

When we move into our 90 year old home there was a desk in the basement made from an old crate that was originally a "Utah Cracker Factory" crakers box. I spent a Saturday converting it into an ideal working space and it's now my favorite thing in the studio.

When I was thinking about posting these photos to show everyone where it is that I paint, my wife said that she always wondered about the behind the scenes of artists like - where was it that the Beatles wrote their first hit song, or how some of the worlds great inventions came about? And so here is a glimpse into the place where my tubes of paint become a painting.