Artist Spotlight: Michael Politan

By Joshua Scarselli.

This is the inaugural interview in my new Artist Spotlight Series. I’ll be looking for different types of artists to interview. The more unknown or peculiar, the better! If you would like to be interviewed for this series, you can e-mail me at powderkegpictures@gmail.com.

Today we talk to Michael Politan. Michael is a great artist who really has an eye for contrast. I found his paintings on Facebook and had to have a chat with him. He actually inspired me to start this interview series. Keep reading to find out more about Michael Politan and his amazing paintings!

RRX: How did you get into painting and making art?

MP: My father liked to draw. As a kid, he would let me finish his sketches. Growing up he would teach me a couple of things, but really I would just copy other artwork from magazine covers. When I was a kid, I copied Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and other things like that.

RRX: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

MP: Honestly, inspiration and imagination are a bit hard, but I love the greats of the Renaissance of fine arts. I hope one day I’ll be able to paint like them. I try to get a little bit from anyone who’s a famous artist.

RRX: One of the things I enjoy about your paintings is that they are unpolished in a polished way. They aren’t sharp images but a really good play on colors and contrast. How do you achieve this?

MP: But it’s the use (or not) of medium. In reality, I’m still learning how to use the right ones. Some of the work I do, I don’t use them, and some I do. It’s just an ongoing learning curve for me. So, mediums are the use of linseed oil and/or turpentine or paint thinner in “fat over lean.” It helps make it glossy and stretch the paint, or it can help it dry faster. So it’s a learning curve on how much linseed oil to use or how much thinner. You can also mix the two.

RRX: How has art played a role on your road through recovery?

MP: So yeah, I’m in recovery. I lived on the street and was homeless. When I do my artwork, it’s just a way for me to help cope with life and let my mind wander. I have had a lot of hardships in my life. It’s an escape from reality in a better, healthier way than what I used to do. It helps with stress, and it’s addictive, but in a good way. It’s something I can do, mess up on, and seem to make things look good. It’s very exciting for me to say, “Hey, I painted that. I didn’t even know I could do it, and it looks great.”

RRX: Where can people keep track of your art and contact you for commissions?

MP: Honestly, if someone just wanted to email me or just use Facebook. They can ask me for some of the work I have done already, or they can ask me to paint something just for them. We can come up with a price. It is a healthier hobby for me. But if I can make some money and be discovered, that’s a plus too. Thank you for your interest, and happy painting.

Facebook: Michael Politan

Email: Micpol84@gmail.com