Eric Michaels

Artist Biography

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Eric Michaels' art, prints and posters is its international flavor. The subject matter spans four continents and both hemispheres. Painting in these various locations enables him to achieve an understanding of local light conditions and to participate in the native experience.

Michaels was born and raised in Illinois. As a young boy, he cultivated an early appreciation for music and art, prints and posters. He spent a great deal of time drawing sports figures and Disney characters, and studying guitar with an old vaudeville banjo player. With the folk scene booming in the sixties, Michaels paid his way through college teaching guitar and performing in coffeehouses. In 1983, on a music tour through the southwest, he and his wife passed through Santa Fe and decided to stay.

The size and strength of the Santa Fe art community surprised Michaels, and within a year he decided to give up his music performances to concentrate on his art, prints and posters. He did a small bit of commercial illustration to help pay the bills, and, shortly thereafter, had enough viable galleries to begin making a living in fine art. Michaels still loves to travel. His art has taken him to exotic destinations in Africa, Europe, Central America and Indonesia. He also loves to paint the rich culture and landscapes of the region surrounding his home in Trinidad, Colorado.

Eric Michaels Art, Prints and Posters Collection