(1946 – Present)
Michael Atkinson is a contemporary landscape artist with strong ties to the wide open spaces of Texas and the American southwest. From his Smoky Ridge studio in Texas, Atkinson seeks to “capture the emotion, be it subtle or exaggerated,” of an image. This pursuit of an image has been in evolution since he started painting as a child in the northwest Texas town of Lubbock.
Attracted early to the study of architecture, he earned a degree from Texas Tech University, then taught and worked in the field for a time. From the first, his art, prints and posters have reflected his training, experience, and wide-ranging interests, as he creates images – buildings, oceanscapes, animals, and Southwestern landscapes – through a unique, semi-abstract style and a mastery of watercolor’s “spontaneity and freedom.”
White space is an essential element of the composition that characterizes Atkinson’s art, prints and posters. “The white is not empty. It is completely finished.” Treating the paper as an element of design, the artist works from one concentrated area of detail and color, leaving much of the paper white allowing the eye to focus on the central image without intrusion from the periphery.
Atkinson is also known for his work as a figure sculptor and painter. His work is displayed in public collections throughout the United States and abroad.