Don Michael, Jr. has known he was going to be an artist since he was 4 years old. Adults found that the best way to keep him out of trouble was to give him something to draw and color with and he'd be a good boy for hours. That still continues to this day, as his wife and children can attest.
After earning his BA at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Don started working as a graphic artist in television and quickly rose to the position of Art Director. Don worked for TV stations in Oklahoma City, OK; Norfolk, VA; and Las Vegas, NV while garnering several industry awards, including an EMMY.
During all this time, Don continued to pursue his passion for painting, often working into the wee hours while his family slept. His hard work and dedication have paid off as many of his works have been juried into national exhibitions and publications, some even garnering awards.
Don has left television behind and now devotes himself to painting full-time, only taking time out for the occasional freelance gigs and to teach acrylic painting classes.

Artist Statement:

The intention of my work is to give voice to the beauty and order that can exist even in the chaos that permeates our daily lives. My process reflects the content of my paintings because it begins with leftover paints from previous works that are randomly smeared across a blank canvas.
From this chaotic mess springs a semblance of order as I integrate a cohesive image into these ‘schmeerings’.
Many of my “Over the Under-Schmeerings” paintings utilize the mask as a metaphor for the layers of complexity that exist in any human dilemma. These masks represent the façades we apply to conceal our realities as we each try to bring a semblance of order into our individual
circumstances. What is represented on the surface isn’t necessarily indicative of what truly lies beneath.
-Don Michael, Jr.