WHERE A PAINTER, MIKE SORGATZ, GETS HIS INSPIRATION

To see Mike's paintings, go to http://www.michaelsorgatz.com/
To see Mike's blog, go to http://www.artinbrooklyn.com/
To see Mike's inspiration statement on Jennie Nash's blog, Meet Your Muse, go HERE.

"Inspiration is a direct result of working. I'm hardly ever inspired by just lounging around the apartment. I paint cityscapes, so as I'm walking around the city doing my daily errands I'm always scouting for interesting subjects. I've got a mental catalog of places that have a unique character and every few weeks I go on a picture safari to document these locations. While shooting pictures I stay open to whatever activity is happening and just keep clicking away.

The second type of inspiration comes in reviewing the photos. There's always some sort of happy surprise waiting, an odd perspective or some intriguing interaction on the street that managed to get captured in a background. This is really about recognizing a special moment - not passing over a photo that's a little blurred or oddly cropped. Since I use the photos as a rough sketch they can be technically imperfect - I actually prefer the imperfections because they've got more potential.

The third form of inspiration comes when the paint (finally) hits the canvas. I paint in a style that relies on improvisation, there's plenty of room for unexpected occurances which are also inspiring. I really enjoy exploiting the spontaneous acts that divert me from the planned route. An unexpected color combination or a drawing error can lead to something wonderful. I don't get too attached to my original concept of an artwork, everything is flexible and open to change. A painting never finishes exactly the way I expect, which makes everything much more interesting. Ultimately I'm inspired by the endless possibilities in every artwork."