Michael Paul "In Search of Turtle's Navel"
Michael Paul "Hollow Rock"
Michael Paul "Spirits on the Water"
Michael Paul "Grand Marais Harbor Light"
Michael Paul "Tiny Dancer"
Michael Paul "Tettegouche"
Michael Paul "Slow Dancing in an Upstairs Room"
Michael Paul "It Was Madam Butterfly"
Michael Paul "Grumpy Old Men's Club"
Michael Paul "Orchard Lake"
Michael Paul "Kabetogama"
Michael Paul "Lake Kabetogama"
Michael Paul "Listening to Ice Dance"
Michael Paul "Spider Lake"
Michael Paul "North Shore"
Michael Paul "Straight on Till Morning"
Quiet Water
In this upcoming show, Michael Paul departs the prairie to focus on the horizon of Lake Superior and the forests of the Boundary Waters, an area he has long enjoyed exploring. His encaustic paintings and silverpoint drawings shift between shorelines and open waters, taking in the full measure of these freshwater treasures. His keen eye for detail and atmosphere allows observers to marvel at the blue expanse of the lake, textured rock formations protruding from the deep water, or the movement of the waves against a bank.
As the artist explains, “From the Big Lake to Battle Lake and countless shores in between, I have observed the changing season. Like many people, I am slowed on my journey by reflections of light on quiet waters, by stone and dense forests, and by the sanctuary that wilderness provides.”
He continues, “Sigurd Olson, Minnesota author and wilderness advocate, may have said it best – ‘Everyone has a listening point somewhere. It does not have to be in the north or close to the wilderness, but some place of quiet where the universe can be contemplated with awe.’”
Paul is best known for his paintings of the northern Great Plains as well as his use of traditional encaustic materials. His work is included in numerous private and public collections throughout the Midwest, including the North Dakota Museum of Art, Plains Art Museum, the Federal Reserve Bank and Mayo Clinic.
The artist will be present at the opening reception Saturday, June 2nd from 2-5 pm. The opening reception and exhibition runs concurrently with Parts Unknown, a group show with work from Barbara McIlrath, Robert Dorlac, and Fred Hagstrom. Both shows continue through July 14, 2018.