I just love the artwork of Michael Goettee.  The BIG colors and crisp lines of his landscapes accentuate God’s brilliant hand in nature.  The WHIMSY of his Western subjects makes me smile.  But what really sealed the deal for me and Michael was this statement on his website, I like it. A lot.

“I’ve spent more time avoiding what I fear than pursuing what I want.”
(But now I’m in my studio painting so PHHHT!)

 

CACTUS: Have you always been an artist?
As long as I can remember. I was handed the colored chalks in first grade to do holiday drawings on the blackboard.

CACTUS: What medium do you use for your art?
Acrylic. But I’ve been drawn to wood work and sculpture, especially for some of the elaborate frames I create. Some are inspired by the retablos, or altar panels, I saw in the churches in the Southwest.

CACTUS: What is the subject matter you are most drawn to for your art?
After my first trip to Santa Fe, I painted my first “cloudscape.” As a native Floridian from the coast, I thought I’d seen every amazing sky. Then I saw New Mexico. Since then the red rocks and skies out there have been most inspirational. How I use those subjects can be either grand and serious, or light-hearted.

CACTUS: How do you describe your art to somebody who is seeing it for the first time?
Western with a salted rim and a quirky twist of lime.

{quick note… um, see why I adore this guy?? that’s all, get back to reading click below for MORE…}

CACTUS: In what ways has your art evolved the most over the years?
I’ve become more playful. I moved from grand skyscapes to more whimsical things that make you see the subject matter in a different light. My first in the “Fiesta Dress” series was a of a prairie-style dress that appeared to have a landscape painted on it. It became a hit at a local show and I was encouraged to paint a series that has done quite well. I painted some outrageous chaps too, but the ladies have loved these dresses and snap them up.

CACTUS: What other artists inspire you??
Maynard Dixon, Ed Mell, Doug West, Tony DeCarlo.

CACTUS: What is the perfect setting for your best creativity {time of day, weather outside, music in the air}?
Warmer sunny days when I can have the windows open in my studio which is a glassed-in screen porch on the back of the house. I start the day with household duties and dog-walking, then I like to start painting in the late morning. Interestingly, sometimes the best ideas come in the evenings when I’m tired and my mind is off-guard. But I never try to execute them then. I just write them down.

CACTUS: What is the creative process for you art, from conception to completion?
I list my ideas and let them simmer for weeks to see what makes the cut. After having been a computer graphic designer from the early days, I find it easiest to work with my photographs and design my paintings on my Mac, using Photoshop to play with color and later to print out my ideas for reference. Many times I print it out with a grid drawn over the art so I can lay it out on canvas. I take as many photographs as I can when I travel out west because I may not have what I need when I’m back in the studio. The titles become an important part of my art. I feel like they’re always beneath the surface and spring forth at the end. Sometimes the title will come first.

 

CACTUS: Where do you live?
Avondale Estates, GA, 20 minutes from the Atlanta city limits. It’s got big city sophistication and small town charm.

CACTUS: How does your environment affect your art?
“Environment” is a broad term so this may just take in part of it. I’m surrounded by people with a great sense of humor. It keeps my output light hearted. As lush and green as Atlanta is, and I love that, it’s the memory of the transformative visits to the Southwest with it’s phenomenal land and sky, it’s mix of diverse cultures and the romance created around those that make me want to paint.

CACTUS: Where can people purchase your art?
I sell some work directly and also through Taylor Kinzell Gallery in Roswell, GA.

CACTUS: What are you planning for future projects?
I want to celebrate the romance of the many cultures out west, especially the cowboys and cowgirls that I grew up watching on Saturday morning TV. I’m looking forward to more of the elaborately framed iconic pieces as well. The retablos I saw out there presented the religious subject matter in such a beautiful way. The carved wood frames elevate the subject. I’d also like to honor the varied Native American cultures without appropriating their art or taking the homogenized Hollywood approach. I want to find a respectful balance that is inspired by their art and honors it without stealing it. We’ve done enough of that.

CACTUS: What is your greatest achievement as an artist?
Leaving the day-job.

Thank you Michael!!!  BIG love to ‘ya… fancy

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Posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 12:37 pm under Artists, Interviews and . Comment RSS 2.0 feed. Comments/Pings Closed.