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.
Price Upon Request
"Bluff"
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 collec...
Bronze
$1,458
H 8.27 in W 4.73 in D 3.55 in
Couple 'Trust': Contemporary Wood and Bronze Figurative Sculpture
Located in BARCELONA, ES
"My work explores subtle contrasts in everyday life: the strength that resides in vulnerability and the intense presence of silence. I am fascinated by energies that often go unnotic...
Bronze
$1,634
H 11.82 in W 6.3 in D 1.58 in
Girl Sitting on Panel-contemporary bronze sculpture, nude female on rustic panel
By Susanne Kraisser
Located in Schierensee, SH
"Sitting Girl on Panel" is a bronze sculpture of a nude sitting female on a rustic panel. Edition 30, signed, numbered and dated on the back. The rustic panel can be hung on a wall ...
Bronze
At Eagle's Glance
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
"At Eagle's Glance" by Denny Haskew Bronze on Granite and Wood turntable style base Figurative Native American subject matter 24x18x18" ed/26, available...
Granite, Bronze
Carry a Quiet Heart
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
"Carry a Quiet Heart" by Denny Haskew Figurative Bronze Bust, Native American (companion piece is Dance Every Dance) 23x13x13" ed/25 #8 of 25 available "I carry a quiet heart and se...
Bronze
$177,525
H 35.44 in W 133.86 in D 66.93 in
The Ladies’ Table by Cécile Raynal - Smoke-fired stoneware sculptures, bronze
By Cécile Raynal
Located in Paris, FR
The Ladies’ Table is an installation by the contemporary French artist Cécile Raynal that brings together portraits of women from the artist’s entourage, friends or people she has in...
Bronze
$1,000
H 7 in W 8 in D 3.5 in
House Hunter 1/3 - small, surrealist, figurative, bronze and wood sculpture
By P. Roch Smith
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Toronto artist Roch Smith often uses toy figures in clever and fun ways to convey cultural statements that go beyond child’s play. This tabletop figure is bending over, arms extended...
Bronze
Committed - 38" tall bronze sculpture
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
"Committed" maquette by Denny Haskew Cast Bronze on Travertine and Walnut Base Signed and Numbered AP/25* 38"h 15"w 10"d *This limited edition is sold out, the available piece is t...
Travertine, Bronze
El Nino
By Denny Haskew
Located in Loveland, CO
El Nino by Denny Haskew Figurative Bronze, Contemporary Madonna and Child 25" x 16" x 20" ed/20 "I am the door to love without conditions When you walk thro...
Bronze
$1,000
H 11 in W 8 in D 3.5 in
Old School Beats 1/3 - small, surrealist, figurative, wood, bronze, sculpture
By P. Roch Smith
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Remember the boom box? Roch Smith does. The precursor to the current generation of music devices like the ‘beats’ headphones, this boom box is huge and sits on the shoulders of a cas...
Bronze
$1,458
H 11.82 in W 3.94 in D 1.97 in
Luminous Step: Contemporary Wood and Bronze Figurative Sculpture
Located in BARCELONA, ES
"My work explores subtle contrasts in everyday life: the strength that resides in vulnerability and the intense presence of silence. I am fascinated by energies that often go unnotic...
Bronze
$1,400
H 5.12 in W 5.12 in D 3.94 in
Small Sitting Figur - minimalist bronze nude female sculpture in wood-frame
By Susanne Kraisser
Located in Schierensee, SH
"Small Sitting Figure VIII" is a bronze sculpture of an elongated nude female on a white wooden frame. Edition 18, signed, numbered and dated on the ba...
Bronze
$1,750
H 7.09 in W 7.09 in D 4.34 in
Small Sitting Figur - contemporary bronze nude female sculpture in wood-frame
By Susanne Kraisser
Located in Schierensee, SH
"Small Sitting Figure XXII" is a bronze sculpture of a sitting nude female on a white wooden frame. Edition 18, signed, numbered and dated on the back. The wooden block can be hung ...
Bronze