Acrylic on canvas.
20x16"
Smile 1 is a spontaneous moment captured during aa party. Truth be told I cannot remember the photo being taken, however, I met the person who took the photo months later and she gave it to me. Turning it into a painting felt like a great way to honour the moment.
Michael Martins was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario. He received his BFA from Queen’s University in 2023 and his B.Ed from Queen’s University in 2024. As an aspiring artist and educator, Michael takes inspiration from portrait artists across North America such as Dan Hughes, Mark Tennant and Gian Galang. He currently resides in Kingston, ON
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Michael’s work is rooted in personal experiences and ideas of youth culture. His work focuses on capturing the spontaneous moments and energy of flash photography. So much of modern photography are quick snapshots of daily life and moments. These snapshots are less concerned with capturing the subject matter as they are the essence of the moment. When translating these “throwaway” photos into paintings, it transforms there energy, especially for those involved in the photo. Michael works only from photo references he or the people near him have taken.
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