Love of cities and Pacific Northwest landscapes inspire his work. Michael Fisher painting in his Northwest Portland studio.

Michael Fisher’s pastel art portrays cityscapes of his home city of Portland, Oregon, and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.

Love of cities inspires Michael’s cityscape paintings. Having practiced for over 30 years as an architect and urban designer in London and Portland, he understands the design of streets, public places, walkways and transportation facilities. As a cityscape artist he seeks places that are visually compelling, paying close attention to effects of light and weather. He finds inspiration in the mundane – noticing how light dances on the street on a drizzly Portland day – and in the familiar – the somber mood of an empty street at night dimly lit by neon.

Making landscape paintings deepens his connection to the Pacific Northwest. Many of Michael’s landscapes are painted on location, a practice that allows all of the senses to be felt and transmitted into the paintings. He has painted extensively on Sauvie Island close to his studio/gallery in Northwest Portland. He keeps his camper van ready to go, equipped with all necessary painting supplies for short and long road trips to favorite painting destinations.

As a pastel artist Michael enjoys the immediacy of the medium. Working in pastel is a continuous process of layering colors and values to create vibrant light in the painting. Reflected light from a pastel painting is luminous, a perfect medium for cityscape and landscape compositions. Michael works on Wallis paper, an archival grit paper produced in Portland for pastel artists, and on board coated with tinted pumice gel, brushed on to create a uniquely textured surface for each painting, a technique he learned from Susan Ogilvie.

Other master pastelists that Michael has studied under include: Richard McKinley, Albert Handell, Dawn Emerson, and Kitty Wallis. He is deeply grateful for their generous support, skillful teachings, and passion for pastel art.

Visit www.mfisherart.com to see his cityscape and landscape paintings.  Michael also enjoys dancing to Argentine tango.

Michael's 2010 art show

    * The Ardea, South Waterfront, January 2010
    * First Unitarian Church, April 2010.
    * Bridgeport Pub, June and July, 2010.
    * Portland Open Studios, 2nd and 3rd weekends in October, 2010