“Iron Resolve”
Oil on canvas
8 x 20 ft.
$175,000
www.celebrateart.com
About the artist:
Santiago Michalek was born near Buenos Aries, Argentina. His artistic ability presented itself early in life, following the influence of his grandfather who introduced him to drawing. Santiago warmly recalls how, as a child, he and his grandfather drew horses while sitting on the veranda of his childhood home. Those intimate moments sparked a lifelong passion in Santiago, who has been advancing his craft as an artist and a painter ever since.
In 2003 Santiago started his own business, restoring vintage models of Volkswagen beetles and buses. He successfully turned his hobby of tinkering and love for VWs into a profitable business with multiple restoration projects. He also began to notice that VW owners shared a certain common quirk, each was completely devoted to Volkswagen vehicles, often passionately so. This fierce devotion resonated with Santiago, whose fondness for VW;s compelled him to be a master on the vehicles, with a near encyclopedic knowledge of their makes and models throughout the car company’s history.
Santiago’s love for the beauty and design of the VW has spilled over into his passion for all modes of transportation. His interpretation of how planes, trains and automobiles have influenced our lives and how the cold, steel machines are a rich part of our history resonate with the viewer. His paintings are bold, yet filled with warmth and a connection to the emotion that is connected to the passage of time.
“Iron Resolve” depicts the resolve of the train engineer in the face of a boulder that has found its way to the path of the train track. There was no way that this team of train workers was going to let this boulder stop their progress.
Santiago resides in Utah with his wife and three children. His works can be seen at the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, AZ, which draws visitors from around the globe.
The Celebration of Fine Art is a unique art experience which gives the visitors the opportunity to watch 100 artists in their working studios January 16- March 27, 2016 in Scottsdale, AZ. Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Visitors will enjoy strolling through the 100 artists’ studios under the 40,000 square foot exhibit space. Artists are on-site creating, allowing the visitor to watch them at work, discover what inspires them and the techniques used to create the works of art. Come to Scottsdale to see more of Santiago’s works in person and discover the stories behind each work of art.
www.celebrateart.com