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Michael Story
Lexington, SC
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about the artist
Born in 1953 in Beloit, Wisconsin, Michael Story was encouraged to draw in his childhood and was taught by his grandfather, Ken Osgood, a professional artist. His family moved to Pennsylvania and later to South Carolina. After high school, Story began art studies at East Carolina, then transferred to the University of South Carolina, where he earned a B.F.A. degree in 1975. Later, he began freelancing, establishing himself as an illustrator and designer, but the confinements of advertising art eventually brought about a shift of interest toward fine art.
In 1981, Story enrolled in his first watercolor class with the late South Carolina artist Robert Mills. The following year he traveled to New York, where he studied pastel and oil painting with internationally known artist Daniel Greene.
Story subsequently began experiencing success in competitions and shows, developing a following of corporate collectors, private buyers, and art galleries. His love of the water and familiarity with the southern barrier islands triggered a subsequent exploration of the lowcountry as subject matter for many of his paintings. "People want to be near water, both real and imagined, as it exudes a calm that seems magical. In the studio, I’ve discovered that sense of calm often transcends the painting process when water is incorporated into the composition."
In 1994, Story began to publish limited-edition prints of his paintings while teaching, guest lecturing, and jurying art shows. Three years later, when Story signed a publishing contract with Canadian Art Prints of British Columbia, his work gained worldwide attention.
Closer to home, Story's art has been featured in numerous publications, gracing the cover of South Carolina Wildlife magazine and being the focus of a feature article in South Carolina Homes and Gardens and Arts Across Kentucky. His client list has continued to grow, including prominent corporate collectors such as Marriott and Walt Disney World, along with major banking institutions and healthcare facilities. Story also has work showcased in the Bush Presidential Library in Houston.
Of his art, Story cites many American Impressionists such as Willard Metcalf and William Merritt Chase as influential. Two other turn-of-the-century painters Story holds in high regard are Abbott Thayer and William Lathrop. "Thayer, the New Englander who became known as a 'soul painter,' expressed the spiritual in much of his work. Lathrop, considered a tonalist, created poetic landscapes conveying the many and varied moods of nature."
Contemporary painters Burt Silverman and Thomas Aquinas Daly also impacted Story. "From Silverman, I learned the value of painting what you know." Story agrees with Daly's advice: "To the realistic painter, a working knowledge of properties of light and atmosphere is of paramount importance. Because light itself is color and form, its significance cannot be overstated."
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artists' statement
Art and music are rooted in my family history. My great uncle and grandmother were jazz musicians, and my grandfather, who was a professional artist, was my first teacher. From a very young age, I knew that I wanted to be an artist so I feel fortunate to have always been encouraged by my family to follow that dream. Starting as a sign painter, working summers during high school, I’ve never wavered from pursuing my goal. In the years since, I’ve followed a career path that has taken me down many roads. From designer to illustrator, portrait artist to landscape painter, I feel as though I’ve come full circle. And today I’m doing what I truly love.
Having lived in the South most of my adult life, I’ve learned the value of painting what I know. I’ve often found inspiration for my art by traveling the coastal waterways and interior vistas stretching from North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. I love exploring the interconnections where land and water meet. People want to be near water, both real and imagined, as it exudes a calm that seems magical. In the studio, that sense of calm often transcends the painting process when water is incorporated into the composition. Interpretations of clouds, trees, vegetation and grasses often find a place in my paintings, but their reflected colors and shapes in the surrounding waters interest me the most.
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artists' work
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media interviews
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white papers
South Carolina Homes and Gardens
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exhibition reviews
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studio tours
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audio interviews
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