A Vancouver Islander by birth, Michael Pratt says, “As well as being my home, the Island is my artistic muse, whether through the land itself or the influences of its light, colour, and philosophy.”
That philosophy, he believes, comes from the diversity of the Island’s people, climate, and landscape; there is a spirituality that runs deep, whether in those who have been here forever or those who chose this place over other locales. “Eventually, everyone becomes imbued with the spirit arising from nature: the sea, forests, mountains … the beauty that inspires art.”
As a self-trained artist, Pratt strives to develop his “eye” in order to portray the soul in both realistic and abstract terms, using pencil crayons as his medium of choice.
At this stage of his life, as he transitions from his vocation as a therapist to his avocation as an artist, Pratt finds his bliss in the studio. He’s also moving towards working en plein air, doing landscapes in acrylics, and may even get into wood block printing.
