Featured artist: Michael Emerson Wall
Dusk had Fallen, 5x5, oil and encaustic on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood
Michael Emerson Wall paints with a variety of mediums to create Celestial Environments which are deep and thought provoking and border between abstraction and realism.
Imperfections, 24x24, mixed media on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood
Q: Your color palette emphasizes warm and cool colors. Tell us a little bit about this.
The simple answer, I’m practicing the “less is more” approach. The more complicated answer, all colors are made up of warm and cool tones, even within their own temperatures. Color theory is one of the most difficult subjects out there, so I do my best to keep it simple by breaking it down into this concept.
Parrish the Thought, 5x5, oil and encaustic on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood
Q: Your dad was in the military, and your family moved around when you were younger. Did this influence your art in any way?
Honestly, I’ve never given it that much thought, but you could be onto something. I believe everything an artist experiences in their own life influences the work consciously and subconsciously. We traveled a lot and went on tons of road trips, and this very well could be where my love of landscapes developed.
Distorted Memory, 5x5, oil on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood
Q: Out of all of the mediums you use, encaustic, acrylic, oil, charcoal, and watercolor, which do you enjoy the most?
This is such an unfair question, lol. I love them all for different reasons. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses: enjoyment and frustrations. But if you are twisting my arm and I could only choose one… I go with the water-soluble oils. They can pretty much imitate all the other mediums, to some extent.
I Know Where to Go, 8x8, acrylic and ink on Ampersand Gessobord with Maple Floaterframe
Q: You have a graphic design degree. Does this help your abstract art? Or do you ever find yourself trying to be more figurative?
I don’t seem to have an issue separating these worlds. I believe we exercise different creative muscles depending on the type of art we are working on - sort of like an actual workout. Graphic Design has been helpful in its own way regarding my artist career but is very much in its own world. However, I do apply a certain set of principles that I carry throughout all of my work.
That Moment, 10x10, oil and encaustic on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood with White Floaterframe
Q: You say that the reason why you create is that your paintings of celestial environments give your soul a place to dwell. Can you tell us more about this?
Living is a difficult task. This world can be brutal when it wants to be. You never really know what’s going to happen next. My daughter became a victim of suicide back in 2017. I can’t describe in words what that loss feels like. As tragic as that is, terrible things are happening everywhere to everyone. Now, I don’t want to make this all sound hopeless or to fill someone with doom and gloom, but I want my work to bring feelings of peace, comfort, hope, and safety and hopefully surround the viewer with calmness. My daughter helped me with this.
I’ve been moving away from identifying my paintings as landscapes and more towards the idea of environments. We each have a space within us where we go to get away from the outside world. These inner environments fill our mind, heart, and soul. I’m just sharing mine with the rest of you. Hopefully, they shine some light on this subject and help other people find that place.
Blessed in Abundance, 5x5, oil and encaustic on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood
Q: Texture is an integral part of your work. Can you tell us a little bit about your process?
What can I say? I love textures. At one point in time, I remember having resentment towards them. It was like being in a band and having that one hit song everybody wanted to hear, but you never wanted to play it because you thought you had so many better songs. I stopped fighting it after a while because I realized how much I enjoyed making them.
It’s challenging to share the process because I can approach them in so many different ways, but I can say I do put textures into two categories. Dimensional texture and the illusion of texture. To put it simply, one is sculpted per se, and the other is flat on the surface. All are created with a various tools, mediums, and painting techniques I have learned and developed over the years. It didn’t happen overnight.
When You Arrived, 10x10, oil and encaustic on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood with White Floaterframe
Q: You have a style where the viewer can identify the piece as yours. Was this something you were aiming for? Or did it happen naturally?
What a compliment, thank you. Every artist is searching for their own voice, right? This is something I aim for, but I believe it naturally happens the more one paints (creates). This can’t be forced but could only be developed the further down a path one goes. It takes time. I’m terrible with analogies, but you can’t cross the finish line without going the distance first. I am not saying I have made it or finally arrived at my destination. Far from it. Hopefully, I will continue to develop this voice and still have it be identified as my own.
Treading, 8x8, oil and cold wax on Ampersand Gessobord with Maple Floaterframe
Q: You recently welcomed a baby boy to your family. Has having a new addition in your life changed your work in any way?
Nolan is so loved, and I’m so happy he is with us now. At first, I thought he would influence my abstract work but not so much. He has sort of awakened a fun, playful, youthful side to me that I want to share with everyone. I’m into all types of art but try to stay focused on the task. Once a year, around summertime, I seem to derail and create off the beaten path. It’s nice, but it never really lasts long. I have a feeling this year will be different. You will all have to wait and see.
While the Others Sleep, 6x6, oil and encaustic on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood with White Floaterframe
Q: You have always been inspired by art, but it was only within the past 10 years that you started exploring abstract art. What led you to your approach to painting abstractly?
I was searching for my voice. I had no real concept that meant anything special to me or I could call my own. I was only creating art because I was just good enough at it, but I had no idea what I wanted from it. Before painting abstractly, I didn’t understand its value in it. Abstract work didn’t impress me much. That has since changed. I can finally say with confidence what my work means to me and what I hope it can do for others.
Belong, 5x5, oil on Ampersand Unprimed Basswood
Q: What do you love most about Ampersand products for your work?
You are a company and brand that I can trust to be professional. Thank you for helping artists take their work to the next level, including myself.
Artist Bio:
Michael Wall is constantly looking for that balance in life. Ever since Michael was a child, he would take the world around him and turn it into his own. Not much has changed except his experience. Michael paints with a variety of mediums to create Celestial Environments, which are deep and thought-provoking. His paintings border between abstraction and realism. Displaying a wide range of textures with a warm and cool color palette. He wants the viewer to identify with the familiar world that surrounds us while simultaneously connecting with the inner world that is within us all. To see more of Michael’s work, visit his website, Instagram, and YouTube.
Art is not meant for just the eyes but for the soul. – Michael Emerson Wall
To learn more about the Ampersand surfaces that Michael Emerson Wall uses, visit the Unprimed Basswood or Gessobord pages.
