Derek Jackson: Channel, Canvas Commentary, where art meets conversation, and we explore the stories and the life lessons behind creativity. Today I'm excited to introduce Michael Finlan, an artist whose abstract paintings invite viewers into a world of vibrant colors, intricate gestures, drips and splashes. Michael's artistic process has evolved into a brushless approach, allowing movement, spontaneity, and complexity to work. with his work. Through abstraction, he creates a unique and visual language using gesture, form, and notation with colors serving as a kind of mystical guide through the creative process. His paintings offer movement to pause, reflect, and explore, encouraging each viewer to discover their own path through the layers of the work. Today we'll dive into Michael's creative process, the meaning behind his abstract work and the experiences that have shaped his journey as an artist. So let's get into the conversation with Michael Finley. Terry, how are you doing today?
Michael: Great, Derek. I'm excited to be here with you.
Derek Jackson: good. I'm excited for you to be here. I love your work. I I love whoever takes photos of it. I don't know who takes photos of your work, but they are fantastic.
Michael: I I actually have a photographer who after each series I take the photographer takes the photographs of the work.
Derek Jackson: wow. Yeah, she they do a good job because I it I looked at them and I'm like, these are really detailed. I love it. Okay. So how do you describe your artistic style in your own words?
Michael: Well, first obviously when you look at them, they're abstract in
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: nature. They're bold, bright, colorful, action oriented. They have dimensionality. They're provocative because there's just when you think you've reached a visual quiet spot there's some speed or some activity that's that's happening. So and the work ha obviously has evolved through the years. I've I Come from a place where I used to work from the tradition of working, f learning how first how to draw, learning about composition, and then I broke into abstraction.
Derek Jackson: When was this? Recently.
Michael: That was well when I went to a artist colony called Triangle and I saw and I actually stopped using the brush and I started pouring paint as opposed to using a brush. So I pour paint right from the can and I use different size size cans and I pour and so there's a lot of drips that happen and that started a whole different process for me. I saw a different artist working in that way and I really like that. So that happened I would say probably around fifteen years
Derek Jackson: Wow.
Michael: ago.
Derek Jackson: What does the drips mean to you? What did the drips mean to you?
Michael: Say again. What did the drops mean to me?
Derek Jackson: Yeah, the drips and the splatters and is it emotional or is it?
Michael: The grips, they mean it's a freedom, there's a certain freedom, I like how they overlap and they bring other colors with them and there's a lot of accidents that happen that I like to leave in the painting. I like to be surprised when I paint. I n I never know if a painting's gonna work. And I like that. I like that anticipation and I like that sense of freedom and play. I guess there's a childlike quality in my approach. I don't have a lot of rules set up for myself. I set up six large canvases on the studio floor and start to pour and then I lean them on the wall and then I start to edit and then see how the different shapes are weighing on each other and then I come in the next day and make different changes to the work.
Derek Jackson: Hey, that's really cool.
Michael: And and actually the I also started I I like to shop for my paints in
Derek Jackson: I know
Michael: Home Depot. And the the paintings actually start in Home Depot because I choose my palette and it's all intuitive and I go around in this section and I make decisions on
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: the palette. in the in the store and that dictates it the palette of the and I paint in a series of ten and those ten paintings are gonna have a certain interplay with those colors.
Derek Jackson: Okay, that's really cool. So you so how frequently d do you do a series? How frequently do you do
Michael: Say again, I'm sorry.
Derek Jackson: a series?
Michael: it's it's all according 'cause I usually have a routine. I do a series and then I get the photographer in and then I do my business part of being an artist. I just created a newsletter related to the this new series. I'm gonna contact galleries, I'm gonna contact art consultants. I just heard from an art consultant that my work didn't sell. So I'm a little bummed. Right actually two two minutes before this started and I went, not good news to right before I'm starting something like this. But that's that's how it goes. and so the the list for the artist consultants for the newsletter is going out tomorrow. and then I'll do and then once all the artist business is taken care of, I'll start a most likely start a new series. as I've gotten older as an artist, I like to work on different projects. I started a project with my younger brother who's a poet, and he was doing a lot of research on our family. And I did a large mural, a collage mural, quite large, on the different poems that he wrote about our great-great grandmother and about our family coming to America. And so I've been sending proposals out to museums all over the country. So that's a project I'm working on. I'm also doing a children's book. Yeah. So I like to d as I've my intent as an artist, the big overall intent is to be involved in the act of being creative. I love to paint. That's my main place, my main home to go back to and So I start there. And I'm gonna do another series quite soon. But I think the steps will be I'm gonna get back to the children's book and then do a new series. And so that's so I like to keep my hand in a lot of creative practice.
Derek Jackson: Okay. when did No, you're good. When did you f first realize art was more
Michael: I'm not talking too much.
Derek Jackson: than just a hobby for you?
Michael: I was lucky to have two grandfathers who were I considered both artists. My gr one grandfather was a tailor and I was very close with him. The other grandfather was a a a cartoonist and he was actually hired by Disney but he didn't take the job because anti Semitism and back in in his time, it was decided that it wouldn't be a good choice for him to do that. But I drew with him. So I always had a sense that I would be an artist. I don't know where it came from. It's kind of a mis mysteries mysterious thing. I would tell people I was gonna go to Pratt when I was a little kid and I don't
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: know where that came from. I I d I don't know. So and I ended up going to Pratt and studying painting and ceramics and art education and then I was an art therapist and then back full time to being a a painter.
Derek Jackson: What would the sixteen year old self think about what you're doing right now?
Michael: I think they would look at the painting and say they would be pretty excited about the last paintings especially that I've just created. I think they're quite Beautiful. They're quite clear. They're I'm looking at one right now. There's a lovely balance and the color is spectacular and the I think that sixteen year old would be quite proud and quite excited for the journey coming.
Derek Jackson: Hmm. True. what fears have you overcome as an artist?
Michael: I still have
Derek Jackson: huh.
Michael: a bunch, but which fear have I overcome? I guess there's always the
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: fear of rejection. But the the fear of of that I've lost when I start a new series, there's always this fear that I can't do it anymore. It's always there, but I won't be able and but once I go into the studio and start working it goes away. the I have a a fear of going to openings and pursuing galleries and so that hasn't gone away. That's that's something that's quite still there. I try to deal with that as best I can. Fear of rejection. I think I've done better with that over the years. There's people that say it's not rejection, but I t was just rejected. I just got a rejection email. So I don't know what else to call it. It is but it's but I do realize there's opportunity. the corporate dealer has sold up to now eight of my large paintings and there will be more in the future.
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: But it hurts. money not made, money that I needed and need and so it's it's difficult. so That's an interesting question. But I I don't think about that too much because there's a a richness in being creative. I I was given for whatever reason this gift to be involved in creative activities. And it's are are you an artist? Yourself? What do
Derek Jackson: I do pop art.
Michael: you do? Pop art. Okay. So we we have something that not everybody has access
Derek Jackson: Uh-huh.
Michael: to. and it's quite a gift. So
Derek Jackson: Yeah. Do you do you create more for yourself or for
Michael: Yeah, so that
Derek Jackson: an audience?
Michael: it's for myself and then I hope it speaks to an audience. I you know, audience I I was taught and I do believe it's a circle. It's not only about being sold. You need to produce it up on a wall in a museum or a gallery or in someone's home and then have feedback. So
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: it's circular. but I never I'm if I produced well I guess the children's book is towards an audience, I have to concern myself with the with parameters, but audience first of one. It has to please me. And I would never if I wanted to please outside of myself, I would have cr been a commercial artist. So that was never my goal or intent. And when I get lost in creating splashing and throwing paint around the studio. It's for no
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: one else but me. I'm having so much fun. so it's for me.
Derek Jackson: wow. What is an idea you are obsessed with right now?
Michael: right now I'm obsessed with creating s for me simplicity. What and someone looking at the work would go, What is he talking about? There's so much happening. There's not simplicity or you know, there are artists who are What are the artists called who use very little in their work
Derek Jackson: Minimalist Minimalist
Michael: say again? Minimalist. I'm not a minimalist, but my work has become more in more minimalistic. There will be vi bigger shapes and forms that take of one color. And I love that in the new work. And it really works. I love how so that's something I want to do more of. And I could see and there were one or two paintings that I actually did very little work on the canvas. And the painting came together very quickly. And I like that.
Derek Jackson: That's awesome. What does success look like for you as an artist?
Michael: I'm sorry, I I d I didn't hear that.
Derek Jackson: Okay. What does success look like for you as an artist?
Michael: Okay. Right now More shows more one person
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: shows. I I on a bigger scale, being that I'm of age, the age I am, success would be to continue to work. continue to create work but also to find an organization that would
Derek Jackson: Sorry.
Michael: That would
Derek Jackson: Okay.
Michael: support my work. but but more one person shows and continued sales.
Derek Jackson: So that's a good success. How you handle criticism?
Michael: Not well. Just like I'm how do I criticism? I never was good in any area of my life, in my work life when I've had to do work work. and I've I've never been I usually tell people that I'm not good at critical criticism and that makes helpfully makes them sensitive to that fact. So they're careful in the way that they give me criticism. If the criticism comes from a place of being of them being helpful and I can assess that, I'm okay. If I feel their criticism doesn't help me in growing, I'm rejecting them. criticism. I I you know, I've I've been a educator and I've been a coach, so I know about being on the other side of giving critical feedback. So I I'm careful in terms of being on the other side. So it's interesting. Of late I've put myself in situations where I've gotten some critical response and it hasn't been, I don't know, all that helpful. So
Derek Jackson: Has there been a piece that has changed you as an artist?
Michael: There have been a couple of pieces. There was a painting that I did when I was at the Art Students League many, many, many years ago, where the instructor, his name was Andrew Lukash, suggested that I abstract the background.
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: And I would listen to him. I w I really loved him as an instructor. He was a wonderful teacher. And instead of letting the model was realistically painted and I abstracted the background and that started me on the road to working abstractly. that was a painting. there was working at the triangle foundation when I saw people work brushless and just pouring paint. That was another time, a huge change. working and doing silk screen mono mono prints, that was another equ also working at Pratt with a a teacher that I had just away he was a installation artist and he was way ahead of his time in thinking about art in a different way. He would give us projects that caused me to think differently. And my education at Pratt was extraordinary. A lot of the instructors would cause us to they would take our supplies away and give us crayons. They would try to upend our rigid thinking what art was. And I had a drawing teacher that would have us meditate before we drew. And all kind of I had another drawing teacher that put us up on a scaffold high up and the model was low down different and they would make us think differently. So I I've had a good art education, a g very good art education in general. So
Derek Jackson: What would be what advice would you give to emerging artists?
Michael: Ha it's a tricky time right now. I think I it's funny I'm gonna I get a chance to go back to Pratt. They've invited me last year and again to talk to young artists and I really enjoy it. So And I guess the most important thing is to figure out even as a young person. Why You're making art. parents have come up to me. and asked me, should I let my child be an artist? And I said, You'll know, because if your child picks up things at the beach and then brings them home and puts them together and is doing this at twenty and is doing this at twenty five and they continue to do it, they have a need to make things and be creative. The answer
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: w is there. so once that's established, then they have to have a conversation what makes sense, what do they want to say in the world? What's important for them, and how do they wanna say it. So 'cause I think a lot of people get stuck in saying, Should I be an artist? And I think they have to clarify that first. And then it's hard for that's why I don't understand how such young artists are plopped out of schools and then put in major galleries at age twenty. I don't you're you're not developed
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: I don't know. It's a funny thing. But I guess some people it's possible, but most young people it haven't figured it out yet. So that's what I use that's the conversation. I as I once had a an art education student come to me hysterical saying they didn't want to be a teacher. They wanted to be a painter. And I said, Go ahead. And they looked at me and they said, What do you mean? You're you're an art educator. You're supposed to tell me be a teacher. I said, No. Go Do what you y if you are hysterical and you wanna be a painter and that and they they said, How am I gonna tell my parents? I said, just like you
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: told me. And and you'll figure it out. If you if you have to pay for it, if your parents won't pay for you.
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: then you're gonna pay for it. Maybe a parent and so so that's what I've told emer younger artists.
Derek Jackson: So this next segment is called Art Crush. Art Crush, so Art Crush is at our segment where we talk about who or what has influenced your artistic journey the most.
Michael: I would have to say De Cooning, the artist DeCooning. I I guess Francis Bacon
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: These are people that I so admired for their the for the freedom that they expressed. I always loved
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: Pollock. I just thought how do you do that and come up with such a gorgeous painting? You know, just
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: drip. how do you do what Frankenthal did? The the abstract expressionist. I loved Gauguin. Initially I looked I only looked at Gauguin's paintings and The Impressionists. So those were my people that I looked at, the artists I looked at. As so first it was the Impressionists and then it was the abstract expressionists. And I loved Basquiat
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: and Now I don't I was gonna say I'm bad, I don't have any I don't look. I should look more. There are not people that I'm looking at that in that I if I need inspiration I go back to those people that I just mentioned.
Derek Jackson: That's awesome. so our next segment is called Two on an Easel. The two on an easel is what is your last piece and what is your favorite piece?
Michael: So I'm not sure what you mean.
Derek Jackson: So what was the last piece you created, or in your case, a series, and then what is a favorite art piece that you've done?
Michael: Okay, I've it's from the new series and I want to read
Derek Jackson: Okay.
Michael: you something. what I wrote about my new work, the new series, and it's just been finished. The the paintings are they're dry, but almost not. Raw, urgent honesty is a new series that comes from a very deep, unfiltered place. Balancing vulnerability with an intense immediate use of paint. So that's and they're on my website, and I put up the favorite painting. It's called Dances, and it looks like two figures dancing, and it it's a combination of the drips and the bold big shapes that I talked about. And it's very interesting. This painting At the very last moment it was on the floor and something very interesting happened. It kind of called me and it said, Pour more paint on me. And I took what w you know from the can and I did one splash and then I did another splash. And and just I th I think it's it's stunning. I really loved it. And now I'm thinking I'm glad those two pieces didn't sell.
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: yeah, now I want I want them around for a while. It's not what it's not dances wasn't the one that she showed, but and but dances is my favorite and it's quite quite stunning. I I I I I really love it. And so I hope that answered the question.
Derek Jackson: Yep.
Michael: I don't
Derek Jackson: what is next for you creatively? What are is what are you thinking for the future?
Michael: I mentioned the the
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: children's book and the children's book is halfway or three quarters
Derek Jackson: Correct.
Michael: done and I to go back to that and I also have been taking at at pra continuing it I decided to take a drawing and painting class and I'm loving it. And I'm outside on the in the street drawing people. I never did this in my life and I'm loving it. And I I never liked to draw before and I'm falling in love with drawing. It's crazy at this stage. So so that's new. And and that and I'm we're also doing watercolor, which I never liked. And I'm loving it too. So that's gonna go into the children's book.
Derek Jackson: Okay.
Michael: But so that's new. I'd like to go to an artist colony again and do and I d I did that in the past. So that might be new. And I'll I'll do a new series and I'm getting ready to to continue looking for gallery representation 'cause I want and I'm continuing to get that project that I'm working on with my brother into a museum. So I'm a busy camper. I'm working on stuff.
Derek Jackson: Also. So where can we find your work? What is your website? Instagram? All that stuff.
Michael: Okay, on Instagram it's Mike dot filan. And my website is www.phylanmichael dot com. And that once you go to my website, you could see the special project. And I also will I'm sending out a newsletter and the newsletter will be on the put up on the website. So and I'm in a group show at the yellow chair salon and art cake right
Derek Jackson: So
Michael: now. There was one one w one work of art. it's it's gonna be up till the twenty sixth of September. It's it's a great place in Brooklyn. Yeah, so people could go. It's o open typical again it's the yellow chair salon and art cake. And so that's happening right now. And that's
Derek Jackson: Now. That is so exciting. I am so happy to have you on the podcast, Michael.
Michael: Thank you. It was great to be on.
Derek Jackson: so everyone don't forget to like and subscribe and follow Michael. I put so in post production I'm gonna put all the pictures and the words and all that stuff so people can see it and hope you have a good day.
Michael: Thank you, thank you. It was great. Thank you so much.
Derek Jackson: good. Good. I'm happy you enjoyed. I hope you have a good day and I can't wait to see more of your stuff. So I'm gonna follow you on Instagram and go see your website too.
Michael: Okay, thank you so
Derek Jackson: My pleasure.
Michael: much, Derek.
Derek Jackson: Bye.
Michael: Okay, bye bye.
Michael: Great, Derek. I'm excited to be here with you.
Derek Jackson: good. I'm excited for you to be here. I love your work. I I love whoever takes photos of it. I don't know who takes photos of your work, but they are fantastic.
Michael: I I actually have a photographer who after each series I take the photographer takes the photographs of the work.
Derek Jackson: wow. Yeah, she they do a good job because I it I looked at them and I'm like, these are really detailed. I love it. Okay. So how do you describe your artistic style in your own words?
Michael: Well, first obviously when you look at them, they're abstract in
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: nature. They're bold, bright, colorful, action oriented. They have dimensionality. They're provocative because there's just when you think you've reached a visual quiet spot there's some speed or some activity that's that's happening. So and the work ha obviously has evolved through the years. I've I Come from a place where I used to work from the tradition of working, f learning how first how to draw, learning about composition, and then I broke into abstraction.
Derek Jackson: When was this? Recently.
Michael: That was well when I went to a artist colony called Triangle and I saw and I actually stopped using the brush and I started pouring paint as opposed to using a brush. So I pour paint right from the can and I use different size size cans and I pour and so there's a lot of drips that happen and that started a whole different process for me. I saw a different artist working in that way and I really like that. So that happened I would say probably around fifteen years
Derek Jackson: Wow.
Michael: ago.
Derek Jackson: What does the drips mean to you? What did the drips mean to you?
Michael: Say again. What did the drops mean to me?
Derek Jackson: Yeah, the drips and the splatters and is it emotional or is it?
Michael: The grips, they mean it's a freedom, there's a certain freedom, I like how they overlap and they bring other colors with them and there's a lot of accidents that happen that I like to leave in the painting. I like to be surprised when I paint. I n I never know if a painting's gonna work. And I like that. I like that anticipation and I like that sense of freedom and play. I guess there's a childlike quality in my approach. I don't have a lot of rules set up for myself. I set up six large canvases on the studio floor and start to pour and then I lean them on the wall and then I start to edit and then see how the different shapes are weighing on each other and then I come in the next day and make different changes to the work.
Derek Jackson: Hey, that's really cool.
Michael: And and actually the I also started I I like to shop for my paints in
Derek Jackson: I know
Michael: Home Depot. And the the paintings actually start in Home Depot because I choose my palette and it's all intuitive and I go around in this section and I make decisions on
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: the palette. in the in the store and that dictates it the palette of the and I paint in a series of ten and those ten paintings are gonna have a certain interplay with those colors.
Derek Jackson: Okay, that's really cool. So you so how frequently d do you do a series? How frequently do you do
Michael: Say again, I'm sorry.
Derek Jackson: a series?
Michael: it's it's all according 'cause I usually have a routine. I do a series and then I get the photographer in and then I do my business part of being an artist. I just created a newsletter related to the this new series. I'm gonna contact galleries, I'm gonna contact art consultants. I just heard from an art consultant that my work didn't sell. So I'm a little bummed. Right actually two two minutes before this started and I went, not good news to right before I'm starting something like this. But that's that's how it goes. and so the the list for the artist consultants for the newsletter is going out tomorrow. and then I'll do and then once all the artist business is taken care of, I'll start a most likely start a new series. as I've gotten older as an artist, I like to work on different projects. I started a project with my younger brother who's a poet, and he was doing a lot of research on our family. And I did a large mural, a collage mural, quite large, on the different poems that he wrote about our great-great grandmother and about our family coming to America. And so I've been sending proposals out to museums all over the country. So that's a project I'm working on. I'm also doing a children's book. Yeah. So I like to d as I've my intent as an artist, the big overall intent is to be involved in the act of being creative. I love to paint. That's my main place, my main home to go back to and So I start there. And I'm gonna do another series quite soon. But I think the steps will be I'm gonna get back to the children's book and then do a new series. And so that's so I like to keep my hand in a lot of creative practice.
Derek Jackson: Okay. when did No, you're good. When did you f first realize art was more
Michael: I'm not talking too much.
Derek Jackson: than just a hobby for you?
Michael: I was lucky to have two grandfathers who were I considered both artists. My gr one grandfather was a tailor and I was very close with him. The other grandfather was a a a cartoonist and he was actually hired by Disney but he didn't take the job because anti Semitism and back in in his time, it was decided that it wouldn't be a good choice for him to do that. But I drew with him. So I always had a sense that I would be an artist. I don't know where it came from. It's kind of a mis mysteries mysterious thing. I would tell people I was gonna go to Pratt when I was a little kid and I don't
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: know where that came from. I I d I don't know. So and I ended up going to Pratt and studying painting and ceramics and art education and then I was an art therapist and then back full time to being a a painter.
Derek Jackson: What would the sixteen year old self think about what you're doing right now?
Michael: I think they would look at the painting and say they would be pretty excited about the last paintings especially that I've just created. I think they're quite Beautiful. They're quite clear. They're I'm looking at one right now. There's a lovely balance and the color is spectacular and the I think that sixteen year old would be quite proud and quite excited for the journey coming.
Derek Jackson: Hmm. True. what fears have you overcome as an artist?
Michael: I still have
Derek Jackson: huh.
Michael: a bunch, but which fear have I overcome? I guess there's always the
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: fear of rejection. But the the fear of of that I've lost when I start a new series, there's always this fear that I can't do it anymore. It's always there, but I won't be able and but once I go into the studio and start working it goes away. the I have a a fear of going to openings and pursuing galleries and so that hasn't gone away. That's that's something that's quite still there. I try to deal with that as best I can. Fear of rejection. I think I've done better with that over the years. There's people that say it's not rejection, but I t was just rejected. I just got a rejection email. So I don't know what else to call it. It is but it's but I do realize there's opportunity. the corporate dealer has sold up to now eight of my large paintings and there will be more in the future.
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: But it hurts. money not made, money that I needed and need and so it's it's difficult. so That's an interesting question. But I I don't think about that too much because there's a a richness in being creative. I I was given for whatever reason this gift to be involved in creative activities. And it's are are you an artist? Yourself? What do
Derek Jackson: I do pop art.
Michael: you do? Pop art. Okay. So we we have something that not everybody has access
Derek Jackson: Uh-huh.
Michael: to. and it's quite a gift. So
Derek Jackson: Yeah. Do you do you create more for yourself or for
Michael: Yeah, so that
Derek Jackson: an audience?
Michael: it's for myself and then I hope it speaks to an audience. I you know, audience I I was taught and I do believe it's a circle. It's not only about being sold. You need to produce it up on a wall in a museum or a gallery or in someone's home and then have feedback. So
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: it's circular. but I never I'm if I produced well I guess the children's book is towards an audience, I have to concern myself with the with parameters, but audience first of one. It has to please me. And I would never if I wanted to please outside of myself, I would have cr been a commercial artist. So that was never my goal or intent. And when I get lost in creating splashing and throwing paint around the studio. It's for no
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: one else but me. I'm having so much fun. so it's for me.
Derek Jackson: wow. What is an idea you are obsessed with right now?
Michael: right now I'm obsessed with creating s for me simplicity. What and someone looking at the work would go, What is he talking about? There's so much happening. There's not simplicity or you know, there are artists who are What are the artists called who use very little in their work
Derek Jackson: Minimalist Minimalist
Michael: say again? Minimalist. I'm not a minimalist, but my work has become more in more minimalistic. There will be vi bigger shapes and forms that take of one color. And I love that in the new work. And it really works. I love how so that's something I want to do more of. And I could see and there were one or two paintings that I actually did very little work on the canvas. And the painting came together very quickly. And I like that.
Derek Jackson: That's awesome. What does success look like for you as an artist?
Michael: I'm sorry, I I d I didn't hear that.
Derek Jackson: Okay. What does success look like for you as an artist?
Michael: Okay. Right now More shows more one person
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: shows. I I on a bigger scale, being that I'm of age, the age I am, success would be to continue to work. continue to create work but also to find an organization that would
Derek Jackson: Sorry.
Michael: That would
Derek Jackson: Okay.
Michael: support my work. but but more one person shows and continued sales.
Derek Jackson: So that's a good success. How you handle criticism?
Michael: Not well. Just like I'm how do I criticism? I never was good in any area of my life, in my work life when I've had to do work work. and I've I've never been I usually tell people that I'm not good at critical criticism and that makes helpfully makes them sensitive to that fact. So they're careful in the way that they give me criticism. If the criticism comes from a place of being of them being helpful and I can assess that, I'm okay. If I feel their criticism doesn't help me in growing, I'm rejecting them. criticism. I I you know, I've I've been a educator and I've been a coach, so I know about being on the other side of giving critical feedback. So I I'm careful in terms of being on the other side. So it's interesting. Of late I've put myself in situations where I've gotten some critical response and it hasn't been, I don't know, all that helpful. So
Derek Jackson: Has there been a piece that has changed you as an artist?
Michael: There have been a couple of pieces. There was a painting that I did when I was at the Art Students League many, many, many years ago, where the instructor, his name was Andrew Lukash, suggested that I abstract the background.
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: And I would listen to him. I w I really loved him as an instructor. He was a wonderful teacher. And instead of letting the model was realistically painted and I abstracted the background and that started me on the road to working abstractly. that was a painting. there was working at the triangle foundation when I saw people work brushless and just pouring paint. That was another time, a huge change. working and doing silk screen mono mono prints, that was another equ also working at Pratt with a a teacher that I had just away he was a installation artist and he was way ahead of his time in thinking about art in a different way. He would give us projects that caused me to think differently. And my education at Pratt was extraordinary. A lot of the instructors would cause us to they would take our supplies away and give us crayons. They would try to upend our rigid thinking what art was. And I had a drawing teacher that would have us meditate before we drew. And all kind of I had another drawing teacher that put us up on a scaffold high up and the model was low down different and they would make us think differently. So I I've had a good art education, a g very good art education in general. So
Derek Jackson: What would be what advice would you give to emerging artists?
Michael: Ha it's a tricky time right now. I think I it's funny I'm gonna I get a chance to go back to Pratt. They've invited me last year and again to talk to young artists and I really enjoy it. So And I guess the most important thing is to figure out even as a young person. Why You're making art. parents have come up to me. and asked me, should I let my child be an artist? And I said, You'll know, because if your child picks up things at the beach and then brings them home and puts them together and is doing this at twenty and is doing this at twenty five and they continue to do it, they have a need to make things and be creative. The answer
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: w is there. so once that's established, then they have to have a conversation what makes sense, what do they want to say in the world? What's important for them, and how do they wanna say it. So 'cause I think a lot of people get stuck in saying, Should I be an artist? And I think they have to clarify that first. And then it's hard for that's why I don't understand how such young artists are plopped out of schools and then put in major galleries at age twenty. I don't you're you're not developed
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: I don't know. It's a funny thing. But I guess some people it's possible, but most young people it haven't figured it out yet. So that's what I use that's the conversation. I as I once had a an art education student come to me hysterical saying they didn't want to be a teacher. They wanted to be a painter. And I said, Go ahead. And they looked at me and they said, What do you mean? You're you're an art educator. You're supposed to tell me be a teacher. I said, No. Go Do what you y if you are hysterical and you wanna be a painter and that and they they said, How am I gonna tell my parents? I said, just like you
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: told me. And and you'll figure it out. If you if you have to pay for it, if your parents won't pay for you.
Derek Jackson: Yeah.
Michael: then you're gonna pay for it. Maybe a parent and so so that's what I've told emer younger artists.
Derek Jackson: So this next segment is called Art Crush. Art Crush, so Art Crush is at our segment where we talk about who or what has influenced your artistic journey the most.
Michael: I would have to say De Cooning, the artist DeCooning. I I guess Francis Bacon
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: These are people that I so admired for their the for the freedom that they expressed. I always loved
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: Pollock. I just thought how do you do that and come up with such a gorgeous painting? You know, just
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: drip. how do you do what Frankenthal did? The the abstract expressionist. I loved Gauguin. Initially I looked I only looked at Gauguin's paintings and The Impressionists. So those were my people that I looked at, the artists I looked at. As so first it was the Impressionists and then it was the abstract expressionists. And I loved Basquiat
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: and Now I don't I was gonna say I'm bad, I don't have any I don't look. I should look more. There are not people that I'm looking at that in that I if I need inspiration I go back to those people that I just mentioned.
Derek Jackson: That's awesome. so our next segment is called Two on an Easel. The two on an easel is what is your last piece and what is your favorite piece?
Michael: So I'm not sure what you mean.
Derek Jackson: So what was the last piece you created, or in your case, a series, and then what is a favorite art piece that you've done?
Michael: Okay, I've it's from the new series and I want to read
Derek Jackson: Okay.
Michael: you something. what I wrote about my new work, the new series, and it's just been finished. The the paintings are they're dry, but almost not. Raw, urgent honesty is a new series that comes from a very deep, unfiltered place. Balancing vulnerability with an intense immediate use of paint. So that's and they're on my website, and I put up the favorite painting. It's called Dances, and it looks like two figures dancing, and it it's a combination of the drips and the bold big shapes that I talked about. And it's very interesting. This painting At the very last moment it was on the floor and something very interesting happened. It kind of called me and it said, Pour more paint on me. And I took what w you know from the can and I did one splash and then I did another splash. And and just I th I think it's it's stunning. I really loved it. And now I'm thinking I'm glad those two pieces didn't sell.
Derek Jackson: Mm.
Michael: yeah, now I want I want them around for a while. It's not what it's not dances wasn't the one that she showed, but and but dances is my favorite and it's quite quite stunning. I I I I I really love it. And so I hope that answered the question.
Derek Jackson: Yep.
Michael: I don't
Derek Jackson: what is next for you creatively? What are is what are you thinking for the future?
Michael: I mentioned the the
Derek Jackson: Mm-hmm.
Michael: children's book and the children's book is halfway or three quarters
Derek Jackson: Correct.
Michael: done and I to go back to that and I also have been taking at at pra continuing it I decided to take a drawing and painting class and I'm loving it. And I'm outside on the in the street drawing people. I never did this in my life and I'm loving it. And I I never liked to draw before and I'm falling in love with drawing. It's crazy at this stage. So so that's new. And and that and I'm we're also doing watercolor, which I never liked. And I'm loving it too. So that's gonna go into the children's book.
Derek Jackson: Okay.
Michael: But so that's new. I'd like to go to an artist colony again and do and I d I did that in the past. So that might be new. And I'll I'll do a new series and I'm getting ready to to continue looking for gallery representation 'cause I want and I'm continuing to get that project that I'm working on with my brother into a museum. So I'm a busy camper. I'm working on stuff.
Derek Jackson: Also. So where can we find your work? What is your website? Instagram? All that stuff.
Michael: Okay, on Instagram it's Mike dot filan. And my website is www.phylanmichael dot com. And that once you go to my website, you could see the special project. And I also will I'm sending out a newsletter and the newsletter will be on the put up on the website. So and I'm in a group show at the yellow chair salon and art cake right
Derek Jackson: So
Michael: now. There was one one w one work of art. it's it's gonna be up till the twenty sixth of September. It's it's a great place in Brooklyn. Yeah, so people could go. It's o open typical again it's the yellow chair salon and art cake. And so that's happening right now. And that's
Derek Jackson: Now. That is so exciting. I am so happy to have you on the podcast, Michael.
Michael: Thank you. It was great to be on.
Derek Jackson: so everyone don't forget to like and subscribe and follow Michael. I put so in post production I'm gonna put all the pictures and the words and all that stuff so people can see it and hope you have a good day.
Michael: Thank you, thank you. It was great. Thank you so much.
Derek Jackson: good. Good. I'm happy you enjoyed. I hope you have a good day and I can't wait to see more of your stuff. So I'm gonna follow you on Instagram and go see your website too.
Michael: Okay, thank you so
Derek Jackson: My pleasure.
Michael: much, Derek.
Derek Jackson: Bye.
Michael: Okay, bye bye.
