“From Blueprint to Brushstroke”

Gary L. Michael

Gary Michael is a local of the Portland area and has 86 years of drawing experience under his belt, first starting his artistic journey at a very young age. 
Michael began to paint again in the early 1970s. He has worked in watercolors, colored pencil and oil paints, but has taken to pastels and acrylics since 1990.

Michael’s favorite subjects are landscapes and historic architectural scenes.  He is drawn to landscapes with a strong or unique sense of place, and through his visual art, conveys the beauty of natural and rural areas in the Northwest as well as around the world.

Michael’s paintings have won numerous awards alongside his status as a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and of the Northwest Pastel Society. He studied art and architecture at the University of Oregon and Yale University, where he received a Master of Architecture degree.  As a principal in his own architectural firm from 1965 to 1998, Michael won numerous competitions and design awards.

When he is not painting, he can be found playing his trumpet in one of several ensembles or traveling with his wife.