Since Michael Lawrence was a child, he has had his share of visions and perceptions of life and the world. Growing up in the farming area of Central California, Michael knew from a very young age he wanted to be an artist. In the 1950's and 1960's, that wasn't something most children were ALLOWED to become. Especially if your Parents were educators, which Michaels Parents were. And despite all that, Michael was determined to make it happen. Defying his elders to become one of the greatest artists to emerge on the San Francisco Art scene in the late 1970's. Along with his Best friend and Business Partner, Eric Hoppe, they created the Michael Lawrence Company which successfully produced small porcelain figurines. If you are a collector like Lucille Ball was or Doris Day, or even the Queen of England, You may know how it all got started. But if you are not, here is the story.
When Michael and Eric first moved to San Francisco, they saw a Book about The Painted Ladies. If you have been to San Francisco or watched the TV show Full House, you know they are the glorious pastel painted Victorian style houses that you associate with San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. They are Grand and Gorgeous. Michael and Eric were intrigued and went to see them and were awestruck by the architecture, beauty and detail. They had the idea to recreate them, making them available to the world as miniature figurines. They started throwing clay and opened a factory to produce these beautiful miniature houses. And the rest was history. It expanded into other houses and buildings and eventually decided to visit other parts of the world and create other creations from Egypt, Africa, Europe, Asia. In the 1980s and 1990s you couldn't go anywhere and not see their work. They were in Gump's, Nordstrom's, and were asked by Disney and warner Brothers to create porcelain recreations of popular characters we all know and love. I have personally worked with Disney's fine art department and the details and revisions can take a lot of time and effort. None of their pieces ever needed revisions. All molds and designs were given the go ahead for production with the first presentations. That shows the true artistry of Michael and Eric.
Michael and Eric have always had art in their lives. And they never stopped creating art. Erics Father was a fantastic artist that painted murals on walls in big homes. When his Father Paul was 14, he won an art contest in Germany, where he was born, and it was so good, they didnt believe he painted it, so they made him repaint it in front of them. He took the prize money and came to the USA, where he worked as a house painter and saved all his money and sent for his Parents, sisters, and brother.
Michael has always painted. But he kept it private. His close friends and family knew of his talent. They were the source of a lot of his subjects. And like a lot of artists, he could get them to dress up and become something you only see on stage or theaters as his models. And WOW!, are we glad they did.
When you first look at a Michael Lawrence painting, you do a quick shake of your head and eyes. You do not expect to see what you are seeing. His paintings are from his visions and interpretations of the world as he sees it sometimes. His entire life is exposed to the viewer. And as most baby boomers, war, death, religion, hellfire, heaven, movies formed in our brains and these images are a part of his art. You are taken back by an airplane that look like it is hanging by a thread in a boys bedroom, along with an elegant aristocrat, a kewpie doll, "HOOVER" depicts an era of politics, war, childhood. His paintings make you examine and think. They are not just blocks of color, or paint thrown across the canvas. Michael is an artist that paints detail. He captures the soul and puts that person in his paintings in a realm that lives in his mind. Anyone can paint a person. But can they capture a soul? Even the dead animals in his paintings seem to have souls. I am not kidding.
Not all art appeals to everyone. And Michael's art may not appeal to everyone. However, it is intriguing. It is exactly what art is supposed to do. Make the viewer examine and THINK!
We have been getting all of Michaels Current Paintings together and scanned for reproduction and getting ready to put a grouping together for Galleries and Museums. These paintings deserve to be shared with the world. I personally knew they would be better in person, but didn't realize the vibrance and impact Michaels art does to you when you see it and examine every inch. In the months to come he will be releasing ones he is currently painting. It is a process that takes months. He is very detail minded. Each stroke or even dots are carefully placed on the canvas and pop to make the image come to life. I really can not wait for everyone to see these works.
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CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE AND SEE THE PAINTING HOOVER BY ARTIST MICHAEL LAWRENCE.