Artist Spotlight: Michael Ewing

Michael Ewing
‘A Prayer for San Xavier’ 14×11 oil

The quest for tranquil yet powerful images lured Michael Ewing from his childhood home in Michigan to the Arizona desert some thirty five years ago.  That is when he began a journey to blend an impressionist training with his love of western masters. Contrasting glazing techniques with impasto paint, Michael has taken us through a tenderly weathered door under a tarnished turquoise bell… into a serene Spanish courtyard drenched in midday sun dancing with shadows over the soft curves of pueblo walls… surrounded by gardens of color and texture.  The feel is peaceful and easy.  His odyssey in oils has taken him from modest buildings with nooks and crannies to the true poetry and romance of the southwest.

Michael was born on December 5, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan. His father, a sergeant for the Detroit police department, served as a role model for dignity and caring.  His mother, a nurse, had the love and patience to raise four boys.  Following high school, Michael set a course for himself in Architecture at Lawrence Institute of Technology.  While there, he found he had an aptitude for mathematics and a talent for painting.  Encouraged by his painting instructors, he pursued an arts program at Mercy College in Detroit. With a minor in mathematics he merged these dual studies into a teaching career, of which he is now retired.

Michael began his professional art career at Rosequist Gallery in Tucson. Throughout his career he has participated in numerous group and one man shows around the West.  Michael is an artist member of the Mountain Oyster Club and has shown in their fall show for over thirty five years. Michael was chosen to be the artist for the Los Charros Del Desierto ride in 2000. He was named “Artist of the Year” in 2001 by the Friends of Western Art. He is represented in Tucson, Arizona at Settlers West Gallery and in Ruidoso, New Mexico at The Adobe Fine Art.