PAINTWHATYOU LOVE
Freeman’sworkissometiculouslydetailedthatthe
surfacehasa “reach-out-and-touch-it”quality—the
textureofthehairofa cow,themetalofa child’stoyor
thesplinteredwoodofa barnyarddoor,forexample.
“IalwayspaintwhatI love,andI enjoyputtingthingsin
thespotlightthatothersmightdismissorsimplypassby
withoutactuallyseeingorexperiencingtheirdetailsand
beauty,”hesays.
Thatsentiment—paintingwhatyoulove—ispivotal
totheartist,consideringwhathesaysisthebestadvice
hehaseverreceived.“Myfathersaidtomeasa teenager
thatwhendecidingona career,it’simportanttochoose
somethingthatyoulove,asit’swhatyouwilldomorethan
anythingelse,”theartistsays.“Hisadviceguidedmeto
becomea designerand,evenmoreimportant,isbehind
therealizationthatI havethebestyearsaheadofmeto
pursuea secondcareerasa professionalartist.”
With this in mind, Freeman and his wife hope to
take their know-how across the world. “Julie and I are
planning to travel and hold pastel workshops internation-
ally,” he says, beginning with a one-day workshop at the
International Association of Pastel Societies Convention,
in Albuquerque, N.M., in June. “Following this, we have
dreams of traveling and doing pastel workshops in other
parts of the United States, Australia, Europe and China,
for starters.”
Freeman has his own advice for aspiring artists:
“Listen to your inner artistic voice,” he says. “Don’t let
others discourage or negatively influence you. What you
feel inside is what you were meant to do. No art genre is
superior to any other—they’re all amazing—so pick what
speaks to you.” PJMichael Woodson (michaelwoodson.com) is a freelance writer and
photographer in Cincinnati. He’s the editorial and marketing assistant
for Blue Manatee Press, an independent children’s book publisher.Michael Freeman
(michaelfreemanartist.
com) earned his
bachelor’s degree
from Elam School of
Fine Arts, University
of Auckland, New
Zealand, in 1979,
graduating with an
industrial design
degree. He received
his master’s degree
in fine arts at the
University of Illinois
in 1981, and returned
to painting full time
in 2010 after a career
in design. He lives
in Auckland, New
Zealand, with his
wife, Julie, who is also
an artist.Lucky For Some
(21½x21½)
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