Michael Reisenberg: an autobiography.
In late September 1946, I entered this world. By age six or seven, it was obvious I had been born an Artist. An Artist fascinated by animals. Like most artists, I had the compulsion to draw, and I drew what I knew best, the animals in my life. I was a draftsman possessing skills far beyond my years. As a fifth grader, I was granted special admittance to a summer program for gifted High school students. I remember the class standing behind me as I sketched a figure, surprised that someone so young could draw so well. I mention this not to boast but to say that sometimes when things come easy, they aren’t valued. I wanted to be a veterinarian or run a zoo, not an artist!
I couldn’t escape my talents and accepted a scholarship. I studied Fine Art and Art History at Miami University & the University of Cincinnati from 1965 to 1970. After trying commercial Art and sign painting, I moved West. I found work and time to paint at the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and Yosemite. My Western paintings sold well. Life sometimes has unexpected turns, and as luck would have it, I found myself back in Cincinnati, met my wife, and stopped painting.
We moved to Virginia, and after twenty years of running a business and raising a family, I realized I hadn’t painted or produced Art for a long time. All that changed in 2003 when I closed one of my businesses and, in a rush of creative energy, began making the Art you see here. Traditionally I worked in oil, watercolor, and pastel. I still enjoy those media, except now my brush is a touch-sensitive ‘mouse’ in the new media of Digital Graphics. I aim to make amends for neglecting my God-given talent and produce as much good Art as possible. As you’ll discover, I work in many styles and various subjects. One of my specialties is Commissioned Portraits. I show my paintings at Oasis Gallery in Harrisonburg, Va.
Please share my website, reisenbergstudios.com. Let me know how you like my work. Comments are welcome.
Thanks for viewing,
MR
