Michael Harrison PRBA

Statement

The hallmark of Michael Harrison’s work is the small intimate landscape studies completed en plein air. These studies continue to be his preferred modus and have evolved into a distinctive style which pervades his work and communicates both vibrancy and a sense of immediacy.

Methodology

Michael has always felt that small paintings, particularly if they are made from direct observation and response to the subject, are often more telling and emotive in their impact than large studio works that are resolved in every detail.

He works from a limited colour palette, and aims for results that are well-keyed and exploit a good tonal range. In turn,  enhancing the sense of mood in his paintings and results in a sense of immediacy and directness.

Although small-scale, his paintings seek to capture and convey the space between the seeing and the subject, and in turn heighten the viewer’s engagement and sense of imagination.

Bio

From his early years his style has been influenced by Sickert and the Nabis School. There are obvious acknowledgments to Constable's oil sketches. He studied art during his latter school years and subsequently attended Academie Julien, Paris in the early 60s. However it was not until much later that he devoted time to developing his work.