Artist of the Month- August- Mike Carr a.k.a China Mike

          This month I'm turning my artist-of-the-month focus to an illustrator/fine artist from Bedford, England, Mike Carr. Lately we have been loving color and movement here at the studio so I was instantly drawn to Mike's work, which not only displays the aforementioned qualities, but also shows a bit of darkness and mystery, which is a heady combination. He pulls this off quite well in his paintings, using unpredictable brush strokes, minimal landscapes, and figures in the foreground that melt into their surroundings.

             There's something joyfully disjointed about the spaces and faces we see in Mike Carr's work that reminds us of some of Darryll's pieces. Characters interact with each other and their environment in ways that allow us to borrow Mike's perception of the world. I think that is one of the most important aspects of art. It is lovely when an artist not only shows, but invites others to see the world the way they do. In Mike Carr's case, I believe it is his use of bright, friendly colors, especially the soothing blues, that is so welcoming. So take a moment to learn a bit more about this artist that we feel is doing a great job of defining art.

"Mike Carr aka- China Mike, started out in Bristol (south west England) during the mid 90's as a freelance illustrator working for record labels, fashion brands and club promoters 

After a number of years working for news shelf publications he began to develop an interest in more traditional mediums and decided to move away from the largely digital process which he had become accustomed to. China Mike the painter and fine artist was born; 'I couldn't believe I hadn't discovered painting earlier, I felt like I'd wasted a lot of time stuck in front of a computer screen doing commercial work, painting just felt so natural to me'.

Since finding his new calling he has taken his work around the globe, exhibiting in London, Berlin, Munich, Switzerland, New York, Los Angeles, along with numerous galleries up and down his native England."

                      - - - www.chinamike.co.uk

Images courtesy of Mike Carr a.k.a. China Mike

-Chelsea