If you
were to ask Michael O to describe himself, the first thing he
would say is, “I am an artist.” With the many possibilities of what
those words can potentially mean, to him it is a definition that belongs
to anyone who sees beauty and inspiration in the world around them.
“I consider my work to be the visual reflection of my own emotions;
whether light or dark, happy or sad, it is my intention to express
myself while visually speaking a language that everyone can understand.”
Typically, digital art is seen more as illustration rather than
art but Michael believes his work transcends this definition by
including concepts that invoke emotions rather than actions. “My work is
not meant to be used for consumer needs like advertising but rather to
portray and derive human emotions that affect the viewer in a positive
way.”
Having a foundation in photography, Michael defines his work as,
“photo-manipulation, or, an enhancement to reality, ”staying as true to
the original photograph as possible while enhancing the image though
digital techniques into something not possible in the real world.”
He goes on to describe the most fulfilling part of his work to be the
interaction between himself and the model. “Unlike typical
modeling, I always try to find the inner beauty of every model -
something personal and positive that I can highlight in my work. This
puts a sense of reality behind the work and allows it to be more than
just a pretty picture.”
Despite the joy that Michael gains from creating artwork, he is
aware that some others share the same affection for his art.
Knowing this, Michael says that, “Inspiring others has become my biggest
goal. I know how joyful art can be. It is only natural that I would want
to share that with as many people as possible.”n
view Michael’s work on the cover of Advanced Photoshop magazine (issue
65) and in mid 201
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