GARRY MCMICHAEL ART
THE ART OF GARRY MCMICHAEL
How long have you been an artist?
Since the day I could scribble with a pencil or a crayon. I have photos of myself with a Kodak Brownie hanging around my neck when I was eight. I took my camera everywhere. When I was in high school I illustrated a student literary book, VIGNETTES, with my drawings. I really liked being a student photographer; it gave me the opportunity to get out of class to take photos of other students and activities for the yearbook. I discovered a camera in my hands was like wearing a protective coat of armor. Photography helped me to overcome my shyness, approach other students, especially girls, and develop relationship skills that many students don’t learn until later in life.
Photography also helped me to develop a life-long love for the outdoors, nature and the Missouri/Arkansas Ozarks in particular. Today the Ozark landscape is an integral part of my art. Our clear running streams and green-forested hills are a treasure to behold and a challenge to paint.