Mike Laiuppa

West Simsbury, Connecticut

Mike Laiuppa works with oil on canvas to create stunning human and animal portraits, as well as landscapes and stills.

Art has been a part of Mike's life for as long as he can remember. At an early age he could be found with pencil in hand and a pad of paper, played with oil paint in his teens, moved on to 2D and 3D digital art after getting a degree in music, dabbled in sculpting in his early forties, and finally passed through acrylic paints only to settle back into oil paint soon after.

To Mike, oil paint feels alive. It can be pushed, prodded, streaked, and steered. To elicit emotion from someone simply by brushing a streak of pigment and oil across a piece of fabric is a powerful thing. But no matter what you do to it, it will remain true to your intent. It's an easy medium to learn, but equally as hard to master. It's for these reasons, Mike feels drawn to commanding it.

Inspired by Sargent, Sorolla, and Velasquez, Mike believes the art is an exit for what might be inside him at any particular time. A vent sometimes, a gateway other times. Either way, balance is achieved once the door is opened.