“Interview with Michael Obermeyer”
The Artists Fund caught up with painter and Festival of Arts exhibitor Michael Obermeyer recently, and asked a few questions. Here are his fascinating answers:
Q: What are your favorite museums?
A: A few include The Musee d’ Orsay in Paris and the Art Institute in Chicago. Both draw me in anytime I visit those cities. So many pieces from so many periods have inspired me. I usually take a couple of runs through the museums to soak in as much as I possibly can.
Q: Who are a few favorite artists?
A: There are so many, they seem to ebb and flow depending on my mood. As with most representational painters, I am attracted to Sargent, Sorolla and Zorn but I’ve always loved the great American illustrators – Howard Chandler Christy, James Montgomery Flagg, N.C. Wyeth, J.C. Leyendecker. They tell such wonderful stories through their paintings, their work comes alive to me!
Q: What are favorite things about Festival of Arts?
A: The camaraderie and fellowship with the other artists. They are like my extended family and getting together to talk about art, the festival, sales, family, anything, brings me joy. The day after the festival closes each summer is a lonesome day. I also love interacting with people in the evenings, getting to know them, and being surprised by old friends or people I haven’t seen in years.
Q: Why did you become an artist?
A: As a child, I loved to draw- anything, anywhere, anytime. I would even draw in the air with my finger, something my kids tell me I still do occasionally. My parents recognized that I had a talent and signed me up for after-school art classes. I grew up wanting three things in life – to be a pilot, have lots of animals, and to be an artist. Anything else would be a waste of the talents God gave me. Visiting Europe in high school exposed me, first hand, to some of the masters of drawing, painting, and sculpture, and I knew I was on the right path. At some point in my life, my goal was to be successful enough through my artistic career to own a house, put food on the table for my family, and send my children to good schools. I was an illustrator for twenty years and I have had a very successful studio and painting career for over twenty five years. I still love to draw and paint – anything, anywhere, anytime. On a side note, I also became a private pilot and I have had quite a few interesting pets over the years. So far, so good!
Q: What do you listen to while painting?
A: While painting the figure or portraits with a live model, I generally listen to something soothing or relaxing – it’s good for my model. When I’m alone, anything goes – from classical to a lot of jazz, new wave or punk rock. As I get older, I am listening to more classic rock from my early years, just trying to hang on to my youth I guess.
Q: Favorite thing about demonstrating in public?
A: The interaction with people, some who have never experienced watching a painting being created. I love to talk about the process and what I’m thinking as I work. Being an artist can be such a solitary profession, working for hours alone in my studio – talking to myself -or painting outdoors alone somewhere. It’s nice to get out and be social once in a while.
Q: What’s something people don’t know about you?
A: Most people don’t know that I was a Pageant of the Masters cast member with my family for seven years, including my first six years as an exhibiting Festival artist. It was a fun way to spend the summer with my family but eventually was taking time away from my booth each night, so I retired from that and focused on my real love of being a Festival exhibitor.
Q: What’s your greatest career achievement?
A: I’ve had some wonderful achievements in my art career, including receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) and becoming the President of the California Art Club, but my most satisfying achievement is making a living as an artist, my dream since I was a child.
Q: What would be a dream project?
A: A commission to paint and to travel to the Maldives, or any other gorgeous location on this planet, before it disappears!
— to learn more visit MichaelObermeyer.com