Michael Wiens – Realism Art Exhibition

2014 Realism Art Exhibition – MyArtContest.com

Michael Wiens – Waterloo, Canada

Michael Wiens is Canadian-born artist and an MFA Graduate from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, CA. In 2004 he received a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Design from the University of Alberta, where he studied printmaking, painting and visual communications. By the time he graduated, Michael’s paintings had already been displayed at several local venues including the Theatre Network, the Fairmont Hotel and the FAB Gallery. Interest in his abstract paintings led him to start a co-op art studio in Edmonton Alberta, and begin production for his 2005 solo show, ‘New Paintings’. Under the advisement of an artist representative, Michael hosted frequent studio visits, sustained his passion through the sale of his artwork and publicized his upcoming exhibition on a morning Television talk show program. This exposure, along with a favorable review from the Edmonton Journal, helped to establish his reputation as an emerging artist.

His interest in fostering a love of the arts in children led him to volunteer his talent at several Elementary schools, painting murals and backdrops for musical performances. A desire to be immersed in the Elementary art curriculum led Michael to complete a Bachelors of Education in Elementary Education from the University of Alberta in 2009. In this same year, he received the Leadership Recognition Award from the faculty of education, which honored his commitment to quality elementary instruction.

In 2010, Michael expanded his abstract and mixed media interests into the area of contemporary realism and began study at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. His current series, Restoration, combines classical figurative painting with aspects of decorative design and mixed media. Gold leaf and abrasive mark making are employed to unify his images. He currently lives and paints out of a home-based studio in Belmont, CA, with his wife, two year old son and new baby girl.