Mike Coulson

Mike Coulson lives and works in Collierville, TN. He received an MFA in painting and drawing from the University of Georgia in 1975, and a BFA in painting and drawing from the University of Memphis in 1972. Over the years he has worked as a graphic designer and illustrator. Coulson’s artwork has been accepted into numerous regional and national competitions and exhibited in group and one man shows. His paintings have recently been shown at Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects, Harrington Brown Gallery and Wyatt, Tarrant, & Combs Law Firm.

Painting as a Unique Process of Self-discovery
The basis of his work is that abstraction has its roots in the real world filtered through personal experiences and emotions then constructed into a visible form through individual approach or style. Within his current work, abstraction can be defined as a visual language that uses color, shape, line and texture working in unison to create a compelling non-objective composition.

Painting for Coulson is a discovery process that allows capturing the unexpected by capitalizing on random developments that occur while painting due to the inherent properties of paint. The idea is to take advantage of the unexpected, learn from these new insights and use them to add uniqueness and variation to the artwork. Possibilities are explored based on overlapping geometric shapes that are often juxtaposed to curvilinear lines that imply momentum and a sense of movement. Various methods are used to apply the paint including brushing, scraping, spraying, pouring, squirting, glazing and splattering.

Abstraction offers one an opportunity to interpret art based on individual insights gained through their life experiences. This personal interpretation of artistic elements prompts a unique visual experience that hopefully increases awareness of the abstract found in their surroundings.

To see additional paintings by this artist, visit mikecoulson.com.

Aftermath, 48”x48”, Acrylic on Canvas, 2010