Michael Dobson is a contemporary artist and writer. His enduring connection with urban and rural spaces began at the Ontario College of Art in 1965, where he studied industrial design for three years. During this formative period he often sketched and painted en plein air with artist mentors and friends. After college, Michael continued to teach himself how to paint while he traveled and explored his homeland, coast to coast. His experimentation with various media, and the original printmaking technique he created during this time, continue to contribute to the expression of his affiliation with the land. Decades of interaction with the Canadian landscape have led to the development of the mature, passionate voice he paints with today. Painting outdoors is still his preferred way to paint, and the Canadian landscape is still his favourite subject.
Painting outdoors in all seasons, day and night, exposed to every element that nature imparts, lends spontaneity, surprising colour combinations and energetic lines to Michael’s work. The palette he selects may reflect his mood or echo the spirit of the place he paints. Michael also creates in his studio, relying on the many sketchbooks he has filled over the decades. His sketches capture his immediate reaction to the landscape. They give him the opportunity to mentally and emotionally revisit places, and distil and revise his memories of those experiences. Through his sketches, Michael reinterprets and composes, adding current moods, colours, textures, thoughts and feelings. Throughout his career as an artist, Michael has served on numerous art councils, boards, and juries. He became the Director/Curator of the Grimsby Public Art Gallery in 1980, and he co-founded the Lincoln Regional Arts Council in 1985. In 1987, he was elected into the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. Michael has had over fifty solo exhibitions, and his work has been exhibited in Canada, and internationally, including in the USA, Scotland, England, and Japan. His work can be found in many private, corporate, and public collections.