Michael Pierson
Artist Biography
My name is Michael Pierson. I’ve been interested in art throughout my life, from copying the newspaper comics in grade school to a more formal education in college to trying my hand at being an inker for comic books in the early 1980s. Ten years ago, I took a watercolor class at our local college taught by Joyce Eesley, and I was hooked. Joyce became my mentor and friend, and she encouraged me to apply to the Wisconsin Watercolor Society, for which I now serve as president.
While I also paint in acrylics and oils, I was attracted to watercolor because some say it’s the most difficult of the painting mediums, and I fell in love with the transparent look and application of the paint. I mostly use transparent watercolors, but I also enjoy granulating pigments for the texture they have after drying. Sometimes I use a little water, sometimes a lot, wet on dry, wet into wet, etc. I like to change my techniques and tools, from brush size and sponge type to salt, masking fluid, and using my fingernail to score the paper for a desired effect. With watercolors, you can let your imagination run wild.
My preferred style to paint in is Realism. I paint what catches my eye, whether bright and colorful or complex and intricate. When I see something I like, if I deem it “paintworthy,” I’ll try to capture its essence, whether it’s a landscape, a still life, an iguana, or an old car engine. I believe art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I paint for fun, relaxation, or the challenge rather than for profit, so I don’t do many commissioned pieces. I don’t want to feel that I have to paint, so it can remain a hobby for pure enjoyment.
Artist Statement
My name is Michael Pierson. I’ve been interested in art throughout my life, from copying the newspaper comics in grade school to a more formal education in college to trying my hand at being an inker for comic books in the early 1980s. Ten years ago, I took a watercolor class at our local college taught by Joyce Eesley, and I was hooked. Joyce became my mentor and friend, and she encouraged me to apply to the Wisconsin Watercolor Society, for which I now serve as president.
While I also paint in acrylics and oils, I was attracted to watercolor because some say it’s the most difficult of the painting mediums, and I fell in love with the transparent look and application of the paint. I mostly use transparent watercolors, but I also enjoy granulating pigments for the texture they have after drying. Sometimes I use a little water, sometimes a lot, wet on dry, wet into wet, etc. I like to change my techniques and tools, from brush size and sponge type to salt, masking fluid, and using my fingernail to score the paper for a desired effect. With watercolors, you can let your imagination run wild.