Michael B. Coleman’s serene landscapes evoke an emotional response from his viewers.  He engages both the landscape and his imagination and knowledge of an older, pristine environment.  Born in Provo, Utah in 1946, Coleman grew up to be an avid hunter and outdoorsman providing his works with the pleasure of experienced senses.

 

Sketching everywhere he goes, Coleman fills his books with details of what he sees and invents to create a landscape of impeccable perfection.  He makes notes along with his quick sketches so that once he returns to his studio he can stir up those emotions he felt when he was in the midst of his beloved natural environment.

 

At Brigham Young University Coleman discovered that his own intuitions in painting were more beneficial than any art instruction could provide.  Artists Alfred Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, and George Inness, and others belonging to the Rocky Mountain School whose works inspired the romantic visions of the wilderness inspired Coleman.  The instructors at BYU did not understand the style in which Coleman painted.  At that time, abstraction was the preferred method of artistic expression, and not Coleman’s inclination towards realism.  Coleman’s works reflect the atmospheric effects of Bierstadt, the delicate mistiness of Moran, and the appeal to the emotions of Inness.

 

Coleman’s paintings speak to outdoorsmen, hunters, guides, outfitters, and wildlife enthusiasts.  His works are included in innumerable private collections, international museum exhibitions, as well as publications.  The details, lighting, and textures of his works reflect a natural sentiment felt by anyone who has spent time in the areas from which Coleman’s inspiration draws.

133 East Main Street

Bozeman, Montana 59715

 phone: 406.586.3636

info@nygardgallery.com