2019
American painter Michael Carson studied design at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design before becoming a fine artist. He didn’t start painting until several years after graduating in 1996, now creating paintings with an atmospheric realism inspired by Norman Rockwell, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and John Singer Sargent.
For Carson, who was born and raised in Minneapolis and is now based in Arizona, every work is a chance to explore the interplay of color and light. Carson is also fascinated by texture, with how the movement of the brush guides the eye and can drastically alter the mood of a painting. “I like the fact that the face can be such a subtle subject, and one brushstroke can be the difference in the feel of the entire piece,” he has stated.
As a figurative painter and visual storyteller in the mold of Joseph Lorusso, Carson often focuses on solitary women, particularly concentrating on fashion and settings like nightclubs and cafés, embodying the mood of a moment. Never objectified, his subjects and especially the depth of their facial expressions reflect Carson’s desire to follow in French painter Toulouse-Lautrec’s footsteps and “just exist and observe and create,” as he told Resident magazine. Music is a major influence, with Carson borrowing song lyrics for titles and painting the cover of American singer-songwriter Matt Berninger’s 2020 album Serpentine Prison.
Allowing globs of paint to trail down the canvas, Carson wipes away colors to create a translucent glaze, layering patterns and figures to ghostly effect. These techniques are aimed at shifting viewer perspective and encouraging a closer look at the detailed brushwork and what’s happening just under the surface of his muted palettes.
Find Michael Carson’s art on 1stDibs.
$12,000
H 30 in W 20 in
"Watcher" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Watcher" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. This beautiful, handcrafted oil painting rests at 30 x 22", a...
Oil, Wood Panel
$22,000
H 36 in W 36 in
"All Roads Lead Home" Original Oil Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "All Roads Lead Home" is an original, handmade oil painting that is framed in a black float frame. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painte...
Oil, Wood Panel
$30,000
H 48 in W 36 in
"Land" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Land" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of A...
Oil, Wood Panel
$22,000
H 40 in W 30 in
"Italian Chair" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Italian Chair" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting and is framed in a black float frame. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painte...
Oil, Wood Panel
$8,175
H 19.69 in W 27.56 in D 0.79 in
THE SHADOW II - Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting, Women's Portrait
By Jarek Puczel
Located in Hallein, AT
The Polish artist Jarek Puczel catches the calmness of apparently simple and unspectacular situations with an impressive modesty and apparent ease. He creates an interesting and tens...
Canvas, Oil
$12,000
H 30 in W 20 in
"Portrait of Britt Daniel, " Original Oil Painting with Resin by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Portrait of Britt Daniel" is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis...
Oil, Wood Panel
$4,500
H 25.75 in W 19.75 in D 2.5 in
"Deep Blue" (2024) By Hollis Dunlap, Impressionist Oil Portrait Painting
By Hollis Dunlap
Located in Denver, CO
Hollis Dunlap's (US based) "Deep Blue" (2024) is an original, handmade impressionist oil painting that depicts a portrait of a woman in a home interior, back turned towards the viewe...
Oil, Panel
$7,500
H 17.75 in W 22 in
"Susan in Red, White and Blue" (2017) By Hollis Dunlap, Oil Portrait Painting
By Hollis Dunlap
Located in Denver, CO
Hollis Dunlap's (US based) "Susan in Red, White and Blue" (2017) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman in a white dress relaxing on a multicolored couch...
Oil, Panel
"Study of Morgan, " Oil painting
By Hollis Dunlap
Located in Denver, CO
Hollis Dunlap's (US based) "Study of Morgan" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a nude woman, face downturned, with her long dark hair trailing down her porcelain fig...
Panel, Oil
$1,399
H 36 in W 36 in D 1 in
Woman in Blue Abstract Expressionist Figurative
By Michael William Eggleston
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous figurative oil painting of a woman in blue by San Francisco artist Michael William Eggleston(American, 20th c.). From a collection of his works. Unsigned and unframed. Mic...
Canvas, Oil
"Full Circle"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, whose artwork can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the Unite...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Calze"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
“My work is first and foremost figurative studies. It’s what I like to paint, my biggest challenge and my greatest payoff. My nondescript surroundings help me create a mood or a stor...
Oil, Wood Panel
"7"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, whose artwork can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the Unite...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Tacchi a Spillo"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
“My work is first and foremost figurative studies. It’s what I like to paint, my biggest challenge and my greatest payoff. My nondescript surroundings help me create a mood or a stor...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Patti Cake"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, whose artwork can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the Unite...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Becky Doesn't Get It"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, whose artwork can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the Unite...
Oil, Wood Panel
