Artist spotlight : Michael Surber
Artist: Michael Surber
What initially inspired you to become an artist, and how did you develop your unique style?
I’ve always wanted to be an artist since a very young age. While most kids were tracing their hands to make turkeys, I was gluing envelopes together to make puppets. Creating made me happiest, regardless of medium, and that’s how I knew that I was meant to be an artist. I could say things through my art that I couldn’t verbalize with words.
Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into a creative mindset when starting a new project?
I wouldn’t call it a “routine”, cause it varies. To get me in the creative mindset can be trigger by a number of different things. It could be a situation I might be going through, a song I hear, something I see when I’m out and about, or a dream that wakes me up in the middle of the night. It could any one of these, or a combination of several that will spark that creativity in me.
How do you incorporate feedback from critics and audiences into your artistic practice,and how do you balance this feedback with your own artistic intuition?
Feedback and critics don’t have much of an influence on my work or intuition in my process. I am always thankful for positive feedback, but I’m also thankful for negative feedback as well. Positive critics cheer me on, but negative critics push me to go further on. Both can be fuel with the right perspective, but I also have this internal drive to create regardless. It’s who I am.
How do you feel about exhibiting your artworks with The Holy Art Gallery?
I love exhibiting my work with The Holy Art Gallery. Thanks to them, my artwork is being seen in countries around the world that I have yet to set foot in. When they put out an open call for a place my artwork has not been in yet, I am very quick to apply.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations as an artist, and how do you plan to achieve them?
My goal has always been to be a full time artist and I’m happy to say that I have achieved that. I’ve been so blessed that every goal I hope to achieve with my artwork has been met ten fold. Some of my achievements weren’t even goals that I had for myself like receiving the title of Top 60 Master Artist in 2025 or receiving a Knighthood from Duke Dr. Thomas A. Louis for my artwork and contributions to the art world.
What role does emotion play in your creative process, and how do you aim to evoke specific feelings or reactions from those who view your artworks?
Emotion has always played a big role in my work. I’ve always said of my work that if it speaks to you in some way, shape, or form, then it was probably meant for you. Someone can view my artwork somewhere, and it could be exactly what they needed to feel at that moment. That is absolutely amazing to me. That is the power of the artist and their work.
Can you share a particular project that stands out to you and explain the creative process behind it?
That would have to be a painting I did entitled “Daydreamer”. It was one of my first paintings experimenting with Fluid Paint. Fluid Paint is the main medium I use when painting Abstract Pop. I also don’t use brushes. I use pallet knives and paper towels. Mostly because I hate cleaning brushes, and paper towels are cheaper. I also love to be experimental in my work, and “Daydreamer” is one of the first I had done with those tools that I now use constantly in my work.
