Michael Haughey shares his experience as an oil painter and what brings him joy.

- Well, today I am talking with visual artist Michael Haughey, whose medium is oil.

Thank you so much for talking with me here today.

- Oh, it's my pleasure to be with you, Kim.

- Why did you choose oil and what's the primary difference?

Like, why do you enjoy it?

- I chose oil because of the richness in color.

You have a wide spectrum of color mixing that you can do with oils.

They take a while to dry, where acrylics dry very quickly, and certainly, water color dries very quickly.

So you have to work fast.

With oils, you can take your time, really mix and blend the colors very well.

And it just lends itself, for me personally, the way to go.

- I mean, what are you feeling, even when you're describing that, what are you feeling like when you're painting?

And then that process is a slow one.

- Total euphoria.

I mean, it's so stimulating for me.

It's relaxing for me.

It's something that I absolutely love to do.

I paint almost every day, really, really enjoy it.

And the feeling that it gives me, knowing that perhaps the piece I'm working on will end up in someone's home or office and bring them enjoyment for years to come.

- When did you first start expressing yourself as an artist?

- I started, honestly, in fourth grade, and my fourth grade teacher was very influential and encouraging regarding my art.

Of course, we just did a little projects in the classroom, but she must have seen something there because all through my high school days, my middle school days, she continued to encourage me to do art.

- Where do you find inspiration?

- I find it, honestly, in my life experience.

One of my favorite subjects to paint are florals.

And so, I draw great inspiration from our gardens and the beautiful flowers that we have.

And again, I have to go back to my fourth grade teacher.

Every time I paint, I think of her and I thank her.

It's truly inspirational.

She was a very big influence in my art at such a young age.

- Let's talk about "The Shores of Lake Michigan."

That's one of your paintings.

Tell me about that.

- I grew up on Lake Michigan.

The beautiful water, the dunes were something that left a big impression on me.

Again, that was a piece from my mind's eye as I remember it from my time there.

- And do you have a process when you're doing that?

- It is primarily in my mind's eye.

I do work from photographs from time to time, photographs I've taken in my travels.

But most of my work is from my mind's eye.

It's just a great feeling, especially when you start a painting, because in many ways, you don't know really how it's gonna end up.

And you know in your mind's eye how you want it to end up.

But sometimes, as Bob Ross used to say, "You make a happy mistake and it turns out great."

- So Michael, are there techniques that you use when you're painting?

- Yes, I use two techniques, the brush and the pallet knife, and the entire painting is done with that knife.

So depending on the subject matter determines whether I use a brush or a pallet knife.

The pallet knife gives you great texture and depth, where a brush gives you a more smooth effect.

- [Kim] Now describe your painting "Trio."

- "Trio" is one that, again, was in inspired by our flower garden and my love for flowers.

That piece is one of my personal favorites.

It's very detailed piece, which is rather unusual for me.

I consider myself an impressionist, which is not known for high detail.

- You know, in reviewing all your work, it's hard to pick favorites, but you know, you always look at people's work and say, oh, this is my favorite.

I loved "Merry and Bright."

- Oh, yes, "Merry and Bright."

Well, again, that was inspired for my love for the holiday.

We're big holiday people here, we decorate.

And I just had an idea of how to paint a little different kind of Christmas tree.

And I think it's cheery and it makes me smile and I hope it makes other people smile.

- So Michael, when you get out into the community, what's that like for you meeting fans or meeting people who just somehow connected with your art?

- Well, it's wonderful.

I do art shows throughout the spring, summer, and fall.

But the people that you meet, it's a never ending flow of interest and just really nice way to meet people.

And they usually like to discuss my art.

So it's a great way to meet new people and connect through art.

- So Michael, I'm talking to you here as an artist.

So have you always been an artist?

- I've always been an artist, but not always in the same genre.

I've had three careers in my life and I've been fortunate to love them all.

One thing I learned about myself pretty early on, for me to be happy, I have to be doing something creative, something artistic.

So my first job was in advertising and marketing.

Following that, I'm a professional figure skater.

I skated with Holiday on Ice from 1975 'til 1978.

And I brought something to show you, I don't know how well you can see it.

(Kim chuckles) I'm showing you this, not because of the bejeweled costume or the fact that I'm four feet off the ice.

I'm showing you this because of the hairstyle.

- Yeah (laughing).

- The Afro was in back in the '70s.

So in came the Afro and out came the perm rods.

- I had a perm too (laughing).

- Oh, there you go.

And my last career, I went back to school, got my cosmetology license, opened my own hair salon in our home.

And there's nothing better than making people feel better about themselves.

That's the main thing I derived from that career, which lasted 25 years.

- Well, Michael, it's been so much fun talking to you.

So thank you so much for taking some time and sharing a little bit about yourself today.

I really appreciate it.

- Oh, it's been my pleasure.

Thank you so much for the opportunity.

(mellow guitar music) - [Narrator] Support for "Kalamazoo Lively Arts" is provided by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, helping to build and enrich the cultural life of greater Kalamazoo.