FastframeAsheville

My name is Michael Bedoian. I am forty-six years old and have been an artist all my life.
Though I possessed the ability to draw, paint, and sculpt, I never really knew how to
channel these energies to earn a living in a joyful way and provide for my family up until
about six years ago. What follows is my story.

As a small boy I was inspired by an incredibly creative mother who lived a humble life as a
homemaker. She knitted, sewed, reupholstered our furniture, created her own drapery
treatments, sculpted birthday cakes, cooked incredible meals, and would draw and paint
beautiful pictures. The thing that intrigued me the most though was watching my mom along
with my grandma and aunt all creating paintings in oils on canvas.

In grade school through high school, art always came naturally and easily to me. When I
entered college I selected art as my major but was frustrated because the instructors
impressed upon us abstraction, and we received low marks if our work contained realism.

I switched universities and majors to interior design because we were allowed to draw
interior perspectives. I excelled in these classes but had no desire to be an interior
designer.

When my Grandma died she left me one of her paintings. Her work hangs in my house and
inspires me every time I look at it. When she was alive I recall a moment when she
requested that I sit down and paint with her. I nonchalantly painted an apple. It was no big
deal but to Grandma it was. She told me that it would take years of study by most to paint
that well and that I had a gift.

In my attempt to understand the watercolor medium, I studied many books and spent
countless hours of trial and error experimentation on paintings before I decided to take a
lesson from Judy Crane, a well-known watercolorist in Raleigh. She paid me the highest
compliment by buying my value study and offering to buy my original. She then told the
class to request the main office that I teach a class, and if I did teach she was going to be
the first person to sign up to take the course.

My aunt died unexpectedly of cancer. She was an incredibly talented artist and her work
inspired me. She acquired all my grandmothers’ paints and brushes and had used them on her
paintings when she was alive. My aunt left me all of their collective art supplies including
the McCoy vase, which holds their brushes that I use today.

I worked at Umbro Soccer apparel as a graphic artist. We created graphics for apparel,
pattern repeats, ball design and shoe designs. Our work went out all over the world and
generated sales in the millions. Many of the designs I created were the top sellers, which
earned me the title of senior graphic artist. This experience also taught me how to use the
computer in the art world. I am proficient in Photoshop, Freehand, Quark and Illustrator.
Umbro unexpectedly closed, and I found myself unemployed.

After September 11th I decided simply to paint houses. This progressed and grew into my
current business - MasterWorks. I specialize in high-end decorative finishes, which include
Faux, Italian Plasters, Trompe l’oeil, and custom sculpted moldings and trim. I can paint and
sculpt most anything. I have no business cards and all my work is generated through word
of mouth.

These current paintings that I am about to introduce to you have come about in a spiritual
way. A designer requested a concept for a Tromp l’oeil painting for a little boy’s room,
which overlooked a panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I came up with a
composition that would make it appear that the walls did not exist and in their place
contained a view of the surrounding mountains with young animals playing in the foreground
of the composition. I did a 24” x 36” sample painting of two bear cubs playing in a tree.
The owner loved it and bought the painting. The designer requested I do more paintings of
bears.

Bears began coming up to our house quite regularly. On one occasion, I quietly sat and
observed a bear eating a left out bag of sunflower seeds from my second story deck. On
still another a bear came up onto our porch while I was laying in a bed that was up against
a sliding glass door where the thickness of the glass was the only barrier that separated us.
On another day I watched as my dog ran after two baby cubs and several days later
watched the Mama bear chase that same dog, complete with tail tucked between her legs,
away from her two baby cubs. In these experiences I became aware of my own emotions
and feelings for an animal that up until this time I only encountered in a contained pen, on
television, or written about in books. In the stillness of my being I became aware of my
fears but on a deeper level I became aware of the spiritual essence of our four- legged
brother the bear. It slowly occurred to me that I was being divinely inspired to paint
bears - all the experiences that happened in the past was preparing me for this moment. As
I set out on this path I realized I would need a source for reference photos and also to
consult with an expert in bears and their behaviors. I wanted to create paintings of these
beautiful beings that expressed their spiritual side as well as raise our awareness to the
delicate beauty these beings bring to our earth. From the thousands of photographers
across the country, one was guided to me. He was not only a wildlife photographer but also
an author that specialized in bears. He is considered to be an expert in his field and gives
talks in the surrounding communities about bears and their behaviors. He has already
helped me in removing the layers of ignorance I believed about bears and inspires me with
his knowledge and his photography of these incredible beings. Bill and his wife Klari also
run a wildlife sanctuary for black bears in Minnesota during the summer months.

The next piece of the puzzle was to find a respected source that could reproduce my work
accurately. She too was guided to me. Michelle Miller is the owner of Double Exposure. Ms
Miller’s knowledge in her field of work is second to none. Her eye for detail and color is
impeccable. She inspires me and has taught me invaluable information about ethical pricing
and business practices when it comes to selling and marketing my work.

“Inner Child” 24”x36” ( original done in oil on panel)

150 Limited edition signed and numbered prints on canvas. 15 Artist
Proofs on Canvas

150 Limited edition signed and numbered prints on paper. 15 Artist
Proofs on Paper -

150 8.75” x 12” Limited edition signed and numbered prints on paper.
15 Artist Proofs on Paper

Although I have done a handful of paintings in the past I would
consider Inner Child as my first painting as a fine artist. Before the
panel is prepared, the creative process for each painting begins with
the elements of design, loose sketches, value studies and image
research. When these parts are completed the panel is made and
painting is begun. In this work, I simplified the background into
abstract shapes that resemble trees in a morning mountain fog. The
greatest attention to detail was placed onto the rock and cub. Through
the use of brushwork and subtle differences in color and tone, I direct
the viewers to the face. There are elements of push and pull with
glazes that give the illusion of three dimensionality on a two
dimensional plane. The titles for my paintings come to me as they begin
to emerge. Inner Child is a reflection of the unseen divine essence that
is within each of us. All infants remind us of this truth. Including
animal babies.

“Divine Solitude” 24” x 36” (original done in oil on panel) 150 Limited edition signed
and numbered prints on canvas.
15 Artist Proofs on Canvas

I wanted to take this image and portray the bear as holy. I had old Christian paintings
in mind where the artist would illuminate holy human images with a glowing aura of
light. This painting is an attempt to expand human awareness to include the animal
kingdom into this realm of holiness. It was also a time in my life when I was searching
both spiritually and artistically. During the course of this painting, a friend of mine
died tragically. While he was alive, his young daughter who is an artist viewed this
painting as it was being developed. This bear with his stare into the unknown
illuminated by a divine light from above reminds me of my friend. It is funny how this
painting sort of finished itself after he died. I thought I was going to help him with
some issues going on in his life. Little did I know he ended up helping me even in his
death. I placed his first initial in the bottom left hand corner of the tree in his honor.

This is a piece I am currently working on. I have entitled it “Delicate Balance”. It is
two thirds complete. Adjustments to values and details will make this painting come to
life. I had my seven-year-old daughter stand next to it for scale purposes.