Michael Phillips, Artist

Michael's Bio

Michael’s career as a professional artist began with his studies at Columbus College of Art and Design, a university recognized as a leader in visual arts education. Dividing his time between editorial illustration, photography, and oil painting, Michael has always been overwhelmed by the options that can be used to best describe any single idea. This vast exploration of trades is the core of Michael’s creative perspective.

After graduating from CCAD, Michael did freelance work for advertising agencies creating storyboards, architectural renderings, trade show designs, and also assisting with character development for both regional and national clients. Within two years, Michael had worked with over a dozen advertising agencies and added over 30 corporate clients to his resume. While this was never Michael’s true artistic passion, these freelance jobs afforded him the opportunity to continue developing his career as a fine artist.

After building a successful career in commercial illustration, Michael decided in 2005 to focus exclusively on fine art. His oil paintings made a lasting impression in a very short time, winning recognition at multiple juried exhibitions in his native Ohio. Within a year, he had his first solo show — as well as a loyal following.

These days, Michael makes his home in Laguna Beach, California, where he is an artist in residence at Seven-Degrees Gallery. The gallery is exhibiting his most recent work, a series of semi-figurative abstractions exploring the tension of placing the human form in unrelated spaces. The series stays true to the hallmarks of Michael’s approach as an artist: Finding the soul of the moment, and creating a deep emotional connection between the viewer and the subject.

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