News & Events

Meet the FF April Artist: Michael Glenn

Published: April 11, 2020

Name: Michael L. Glenn

Town: Pocono Summit, PA ( all my kids live in Scranton, so I’m out there a lot)

Medium(s):  Mars Lumograph Graphite Pencil, and Prismacolor colored pencils ( waiting to try Caran D’Ache, I’ve heard so many good things about them)

What got you into creating art?  Its something I’ve always done. But as I’ve grown, between a job and kids, I didn’t have the time it really deserved. I would do maybe 1 or 2 pieces a year.

About 8 years ago, I had a bad breakup, and my sister gave me a gift card to ACMoore for my birthday, inside the card, she just wrote “Start Drawing again” I’ve been drawing like a maniac ever since.

Its now the passion it deserves to be. Things happen for a reason…and I got to see the reason. Not many people get to experience that  I’m happy with how it all progressed, cause now I give it so much time.

What work do you most enjoying doing? I pretty much split my time between the female figure, and portraits,  all kinds of flowers and roses,  all kinds of animals like elephants, and tigers, and sea turtles. Done some cars, and some skulls, and some ladybugs too.

Which is my favorite?  its hard to say… I always end up throwing in a sexy drawing.. I just love the shadows and the skin textures, the eyes, and the lips… and the way cloths drape across the body.

What’s your favorite artwork? Which ever one I’m working on at the moment. I usually have anywhere from 5 to 10 different pieces going on at a time… when I get bored.. or stuck on something… I switch gears and go to another piece.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?  I used to draw hash marks on the back of my drawings designating how many hours I’d spend on a drawing. 4 lines down, and 1 across all of them. I tend to spend anywhere from 40 to 80 or more hrs on each… some have been as high as 150 hrs.  An artist I follow on Instagram suggested I not do that. Now… a piece is done when I think its done… but I still have a good idea of how long its taken me…lol.. I just don’t “focus” on it as much.

What inspires you? Good Photography…. details… shadows… the details in the shadows. colors… a mood or an emotion in a woman’s face. I’ve yet to do a parrot.. its on my list… I just love the colors of a good macaw, the texture in the feathers.

I was heavily influenced by MTV when I was a kid. the quick pace of the videos, the flashes of things. Now.. I get to stare at images on Pinterest and Instagram… just look at the shadows and the texture of things.

Favorite artists? When i was a kid… growing up… my grandfather had playboy magazines down the basement… stacks of them… I’d spend so much time down there reading through them…. stories about Ansel Adams, his photos. There was an artist who always had some work in there, Olivia De Berardinis, I just love her work. there are some artists I follow on Instagram… CJ Hendry, and Cindy Press would be my top 2.

What do you enjoy about First Friday? I dated a girl in Scranton many years ago… and she introduced me to walking around on a beautiful summer night going to the various art galleries ,and venues looking at all the art… I was in awe…. never before had I ever seen such a thing…. I couldn’t get enough of it. I just enjoyed it so much.

Where do you see your art going in the next year? I don’t know…. I never thought I would be where I am now… I just kept doing it cause I enjoyed it so much. It has  become the passion it always deserved…. it takes a lot of time and dedication and I’m able to give that to it now.

I wanted to give myself something to do when I retire from my day job in 5 or 10 years…. and its turned out to be much more then I ever thought possible. People have become very interested in my works.  I’ve sold many original art works in various sizes. Many clients have multiple pieces. I’ve sold prints, and different apparel like T-shirts and hoodies with my art work on them. I’ve done 2 wine labels.

I just keep drawing… and go where it takes me….. it seems to be working so far. I’ve always just drawn with the thought that if I build it , they will come. no hard sales or pitches. I draw for me.. things that intrigue me. If other people enjoy it, and see something in it… then that’s awesome.

 

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