Michael Morbach​

I paint still lifes and abstracts in oil and acrylic. My work is not conceptual. I am interested in the process of painting -- working with the materials of canvas, brush, and paint.

I don't plan a picture. I rarely make preliminary sketches or studies. Instead, I approach the canvas directly with a rough charcoal sketch.

And so I begin a work with play -- playing on the canvas -- play is very important to my creative process. I take charcoal and draw lines, wipe some away, paint some out, strengthen some, use a straightedge on some and so on. Gradually the painting becomes more structured.

The final result, which began as a free sense of play, is controlled and calm. I seek a serenity and peace in my paintings that is lacking in the rest of my life.

Yellow by Michael Morbach

Orange #3 by Michael Morbach

Michael Morbach has studied at the Toronto School of Art and is a member of Workman Arts and Creative Works Studio. He has participated in group and solo exhibitions since 2007 including the Mood Disorder Association of Ontario annual Touched by Fire exhibition. In 2011, he won a competition for the design of a large scale mosaic mural which was installed at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's new Intergenerational Wellness Centre in April 2012. He is represented in both public and private collections in Canada.