Contemporary Impressionism
Michael MacTavish spent his first ten years in the small midwestern town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he developed a strong affinity for rural life. This period has influenced Michael�s painting throughout his life. While earning a BFA degree in painting at the University of Minnesota, Michael took several winter semesters and one full year off to live in Arizona and California, focusing on drawing, painting and photography. After undergraduate study Michael exhibited regularly including a solo exhibit at The Minneapolis Institute of Art. Michael was awarded a Jerome Foundation grant to exhibit at the Landmark Center In St. Paul Minnesota and was cofounder of the Saint Paul Art Collective. This work led him to pursue a MFA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. While earning a tuition waiver Michael taught representational drawing, and design to undergraduates. He and his wife Denise fell in love with New England and continue to live in Northampton, Massachusetts. More recently, Michael has taken painting workshops with Kenn Backhaus and Phil Starke in Arizona. These workshops reinforced the importance of plein air painting as an integral part of his painting methodology. Since 2002 Michael has painted full time in New England and the Southwest, having a studio and home in both places. Michael is currently represented by the Arts Unlimited Gallery in South Hadley Massachusetts and is an active member of Oil Painters of America.
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