Artist Series: Michael Logsdon, Historical Illustrations

I have known my friend Mike for a long time--I used to work on scarf designs with him at Echo Design Group (what seems like a decade ago--oh yeah, it was!).  In addition to being a talented artist, he is also a history buff and has an epic knowledge of trivia.  Which is probably one of the reasons we get along so well!  He has combined his love of history and stories with his artistic abilities to create some wonderful illustrations.  He has written a little bit about himself as well as descriptions of his paintings. (His words are all in Italics).

"I love history, both real and imagined. I’m a hopeless romantic, and there is nothing quite like being taken back to another time and place. As an illustrator I can idealize it, enhance the experience, or go in any direction I want. I have always had a special affinity for classic children’s fairy tales. I think my favorite image is the mythical medieval village where so many of these stories are set. Life was rarely as idyllic as it is made to look in these stories, but that’s the magic of illustration.
As much as I enjoy the imaginary past, I’d also like to do more straight history illustrations. I love the research, finding out tidbits about the period".

 Romeo and Juliet

"These two paintings are from a series of five. I met a couple at our local Medieval festival and they agreed to pose in costume.  I used Photoshop for the lighting effects in the Balcony scene, which was the first time I’d used it like that. I’ve used this technique a few times since, but I don’t like to lean too heavily on it. The death scene, for instance, was not enhanced, and it’s one of my favorites. This painting, like all the rest, was done in oil".

Jack and the Beanstalk

 "I’ve always wanted to illustrate Jack and the Beanstalk. It’s one of my favorite fairy tales, and I really had fun with it".

Hansel & Gretel

"This illustration presented quite a few challenges to me. I haven’t done many paintings with indoor atmospheric lighting. By the way, that’s my daughter in the white dress, and our cat Sugar on the floor".

Fairies

"I painted this piece for my daughter. She actually gave me a lot of pointers on the ins and outs of fairy life. Who knew"?

 

The Emperor's New Clothes

"I just finished this piece, and it was as fun to paint as it is to look at. I’m really getting that Medieval village thing down".

Escaped Slave

"This one has a more realistic theme than some of my other work. I really enjoyed painting the horse".

She's a Witch!

"This is my earliest painting in the group. It’s not quite as polished as some of the later pieces, but it’s still one of my favorites. It very clearly tells a story, which is always a goal of mine".

"I don’t currently have a website, but I soon will. Try Googling my name in a few months, or e-mail me at mike.log@verizon.net if you want to contact me. I hope you enjoy the work".

I love the details, compositions, and colors of Mike's paintings--but I also love the stories they tell.
  Thanks Mike!

Update:  Mike now has a website and blog.  Click here for the link.