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Mike painting in Zion Nat'l Park, 2007
Mike painting at lower Yosemite Fall, 2007, Yosemite Nat'l Park
Mike painting in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park in 2006
Mike painting at Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite, 2004
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Biographical Information Mike was born and raised in California with artistic abilities noted early in his life. He worked in law enforcement, however, over a quarter of a century before turning to art full time. Mike spent three years studying art at the California Art Institute following degrees from LA Valley College and Pepperdine University. He has also attended many workshops hosted by distinguished institutions and artist/teachers.
Mike primarily paints oil paintings on location but also in his studio in Placerville, California. He finds inspiration from the Sierra Nevada mountain views and spends much of his time painting between Lake Tahoe and one of his favorites: Yosemite National Park. He also paints oil paintings of cowboys, American Indians and wildlife. His paintings are strongly influenced by a number of distinguished master artists including Edgar Payne, Maurice Braun, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.
Colleagues refer to Mike as a draughtsman in that his renderings are very accurate while his style is impressionistic. His portraits show a spark of the subject’s personality. Mike's paintings are in a number of collections in the United States and abroad in England, Japan and Switzerland. Artist StatementI am an oil painter who loves the great outdoors from the mountains to the seas. My favorite painting locations are mostly in our nation’s National Parks which I believe contain the most awe inspiring scenery in the world. I also love our American heritage from the settlers who perilously ventured out west to the American Indians who understood the rugged unspoiled beauty of our western landscape long before we settled here.I paint primarily from life. I don't believe that painting from photographs lends itself to true value or color relationships or other proper compositional elements of a great work of art. I pride myself on being able to paint from life quickly and accurately whether the subject is our beautiful western landscape or a model posing in period costume. I do use photographs for cowboy, American Indian and wildlife paintings due to posing problems that I'm sure you can imagine! Many of these paintings, however, were created from or enhanced using plein air studies as are my larger studio landscapes. My goal is to give the art patron a two dimensional piece of fine art that is as close to three dimensional as possible without seeming contrived, abstract or photo realistic.I hope that the ability given me to paint my view of our countries greatest treasures will inspire the viewers as much as it inspires and intrigues me every single day. GalleriesPortico Fine Art, Montecito, CA Independence Gallery, Loveland, CO Gallery 4, Placerville, CA NAPPAP Portfolio Gallery(On-line) Mike Bagdonas Studio, Placerville, CA
Art Affiliations/MembershipsNational Academy of Professional Plein Air Painters (NAPPAP) – Signature member Oil Painters of America - Artist member Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park - Artist member Laguna Plein Air Painters Association - Artist member California Art Club - Painting Patron member El Dorado County Arts Council - Artist member
Education1993 – 1996 California Art Institute, Drawing, Painting Thousand Oaks, CA 1974 – 1975 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 1971 – 1973 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA 1968 – 1970 Los Angeles Valley College Van Nuys, CA
Workshops Attended2007 Scott Christensen Advanced Plein Air, Victor, ID 2007 Carolyn Anderson Portraiture Jackson Hole, WY 2006 Bye Bitney Portraiture Fredericksburg, TX 2005 Scott L. Christensen Plein Air Jackson Hole, WY 2004 Ray Roberts Portraiture Angels Camp, CA 2003 Jim Wilcox Plein Air Jackson Hole, WY 2002 John Budicin Plein Air Taos, NM 1996 Neil Boyle Figure In Landscape Westlake Village, CA
One or Two Person Shows2007 Vault Gallery, Two Man Show, "Mike Bagdonas & Michael Severin", Sonora, CA 2005 Chablis Gallery One Man Show Wild Wild West Placerville, California 1997 Brentwood Art Center Two Man Show Brentwood, California
Museum or Other Special Venue Exhibitions/Shows2008 Kolb Studio, 2007 Top 100 Paint The Parks Exhibit, Grand Canyon, AZ 2008 St George Museum, 2007 Top 100 Paint The Parks Exhibit, St George, Utah 2007 Napa Valley Museum, Northern Views-In The Plein Air Tradition, Yountville, CA.
Selected Plein Air Events/Exhibitions/Shows2007/2008 Nomadas del Arte, Painting the Southwest En Plein Air, Sage Creek Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 2008, 2007 Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout, Alameda, CA. 2007 "Northern Views" Plein Air Exhibit, I. Wolk Gallery, St Helena, CA. 2007 Gold Country Plein Air Invitational, The Vault Gallery, Sonora, CA. 2008, 2007, 2006 Estes Park Plein Air - Painting The Parks, Estes Park, CO. 2006 Marin County Fair Plein Air, San Rafael, CA. 2008, 2007, 2005 Carmel Art Festival Plein Air Event, Carmel, California 2008. 2006, 2005 LPAPA The Best of Plein Air, Laguna Beach, California. 2004 Helper Plein Air Competition, Helper Utah
Selected Group Exhibitions/Shows2008 National Paint The Parks Top 100 Competition(two paintings), Jefferson NationalExpansion Memorial, St Louis, MO. Other exhibitions to follow2008 Sixth Annual California Landscape Exhibition, John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA2007 Yosemite Show Invitational , Exhibition held at the Vault Gallery, Sonora, CA2007 National Paint The Parks Top 100 Competition(two paintings), Westboro Fine Arts,Topeka, Kansas Opening: August 1, 2007, Other Exhibitions to follow 2007 Salon International 2007, International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas. 2007 NAPPAP Professional (Signature) Member Exhibition, Texas Art Gallery Dallas, Texas, 2006 LPAPA Less is More, Laguna Beach, CA 2006 Mother Lode National Art Exhibition, Placerville, CA 2006 Celebration of Life in the West, Sunset Magazine Corporate Campus, Menlo Park, CA. 2006 LPAPA Artist Membership Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA. 2005 California Art Club, Our National Parks, Women's City Club of Pasadena, Pasadena, CA. 2004 LPAPA Artist Indoors, Laguna Beach, CA. 2007, 2006, 2004 Celebration of Western Art, Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA.
Awards2008 Two winning paintings in Top 100 National Paint The Parks Competition, St. Louis, MO 2008 Two winning paintings in 2nd Mini 50 National Paint The Parks Competition, St. Louis, MO 2007 Artists Choice Award, Estes Park Plein Air 2007, Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park, Estes Park, CO 2007 Two winning paintings in Top 100 National Paint The Parks Competition, Topeka, KS 2007 One winning painting in the 2nd Mini 50 National Paint The Parks Competition, Topeka, KS 2007 Honorable Mention For Artistic Excellence International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, Salon International 2007, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX. 2006 4th place, Marin County Fair Plein Air, San Rafael, CA. 2004 Honorable Mention, Celebration of Western Art, Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA
Publications2005 Article published in Foothill Style Magazine September issue, Page 24
Workshops Held2008 California Landscape Conference, Plein Air Demonstration & Discussion One Day, through John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA 2006 Western Oil Painting Techniques Workshop Placerville, CA, One Day. Plein Air Trips2004 Plein Air Painting Lake Ediza (Ansel Adams Wilderness) Sierra Nevada Mountains 5 Day backpack trip 2004 Plein Air Painting in Italy three and a half weeks 2003 Plein Air Painting on the rivers of Europe two weeks
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