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Home About Inventory Contact Live Chat Now Article about the Exhibition
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Saper Galleries is pleased to present
The Callihan
paintings exhibition opened
with a reception where guests met the artist Sunday, November 4, 2007 at Saper Galleries in downtown East Lansing, Michigan. On display
were 30 unique oil paintings, many unveiled to the public
for the first time!Michigan Impressions: Oil Paintings by Michael Callihan As evidenced from the pictures shown below of recently sold paintings, Callihan canvases do not stay around very long so contact us soon to confirm availability of any that may be of interest to you. If your preferred paintings are already sold, you may want the artist to create a painting for you in any desired size. Do contact us about having a special Michael Callihan painting created just for you! Enjoy -- and we look forward to welcoming you to Michigan Impressions: Oil Paintings by Michael Callihan. The exhibition will continue through January 12, 2008. |
 Michael and Sue Callihan in front of Saper Galleries.  Artist Michael Callihan with
the Saper Galleries team.
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 Rogue River Marsh Oil on board 12 x 16" Sold, sorry! The 12 x 16" paintings are each float-framed in hand gold-leafed finished-corner frames of exquisite quality  Dramatic Vista 1 Oil on board 12 x 16" Sold, sorry!  From the Foot Bridge Oil on board 12 x 16" Sold, sorry!  Made Up North Oil on board 12 x 16" Sold, sorry!  Orchard Lane Leelanau - Farmer's View Oil on board 12 x 16" Sold, sorry!  Townsend Park Stream Oil on board 12 x 16" Sold, sorry!  Behind the Barn Looking North Oil on board 12 x 16" $950 framed  East Pasture Oil on board 12 x 16" Sorry, sold  Empire Fields 2 Oil on canvas 18 x 22" Sorry, sold  Lane Acrylic on canvas 18 x 40" Sold, sorry |
Born
in Hastings, Michigan and raised in a small house in Freeport with a
large family, Mike Callihan would often escape, wandering through the
fields and along dirt roads or fishing in Coldwater Creek, with friends
or alone, soaking up the peace and tranquility he found there. This communion with nature would mold his life and his art.  Initially, he tried his hand at industrial pursuits. After high school he worked first as a welder, then as a commercial painter. Yet he couldn't settle for merely manufacturing products or rolling paint onto walls - he had to create. As a welder, he’d spend lunch breaks in the back of the shop welding together scraps into abstract sculptures. He started to build ornate furniture from discarded wood, and he custom painted cars and motorcycles, eventually developing that into a business doing original wall art and faux painting applications in homes. When Mike was 30, he journeyed to the southwest and spent several months living simply, reviewing his life and discovering where his future lay. When he returned to Michigan he was determined to bring his dream of becoming an artist to reality. In 1980, he entered Kendall School of Design to major in sculpture, but quickly found that painting was a more personal way of sharing the feelings of his childhood and his love for the outdoors. He graduated with a fine arts degree in 1984.  After Kendall, he went to New York and earned a master of fine arts degree from Parsons School of Design. While he was there, his proximity to the Delaware Water Gap area provided a landscape that further fostered his love of nature. His early work reflected the styles that he was exposed to during this time but it is Impressionism that primarily influences his work today. "A lot of impressionistic work that I look at has a dream-like quality— especially the later work of George Inness. I can understand it. The work brings out emotions in me that I would like to communicate to others." Mike’s work reflects the man: soft-spoken and sensitive. The pastoral scenes are most frequently described as tranquil, introspective and poetic. The work reflects his ideal of "living in harmony, without stress; calm, relaxed, and observing nature." Mike's work represents his communion with creation. The impressions are more than visual; there is an emotional and spiritual aspect as well. "I feel like I'm working with the unconscious. Part of it is controlling what's happening and part of it is just letting it happen. It's very exciting - you never know what's going to show itself next. It's that balance of controlling and not controlling that's so mysterious. When I get out of the way, the most original work is created. How do I explain that? To me, it’s just part of the gift".  The first thing you notice about a Callihan image is the soft focus. Unlike typical Impressionism, with its technique of choppy brushstrokes rapidly laying colors side-by-side, Mike blends his oil pigments together, so layers quietly flow from one area to the next. Although he paints quickly, the finished work appears to have gradually emerged from the canvas. This carries over to the viewing. You don't glance at a picture; you allow the scene to soak into your consciousness. This act of unforced contemplation has a calming effect. As you gaze at the work, you begin to notice the perspective - rather than standing at ground level, you seem to hover just above the land, looking down at a slight angle over the whole countryside. This bolsters the impression that you're beholding a dream. Solitary figures, occasionally showing up in his work, perhaps represent his continuing desire to escape to the serenity of nature. Mike continues to cultivate his lifelong love of nature on an acre of land overlooking the Rogue River dam in Rockford, Michigan. He shares a quiet, contemplative life with his wife and fellow artist/massage therapist, Sue. By day, he tends to the vegetable and flower gardens, and, at night he paints in his studio, a converted 2-car garage nestled into the hillside, where he brings his love of nature, his memories, and his inspirations into this work that he finds so rewarding.  |
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To confirm availability or to reserve any of the Michael Callihan paintings shown here you may chat with us live by clicking on the red box to the left. If we are at our computer we can chat with you instantly! If we are away from the computer you can phone us toll free at 877-537-5251 or send us an e-mail. Click the red box to the left and give it a try -- any time of day or night! We look forward to chatting with you now! |
It is with pleasure that Saper Galleries introduces you to the peaceful imagery of Michigan artist Michael Callihan. Enjoy!
