michael Abelman
ABOUT michael
Michael Abelman’s poised, patient vision is a welcome antidote to the speed of modern times. Painting with acrylics on canvas, Abelman renders the striking natural spaces of Vancouver, British Columbia with a deft impressionistic touch.
With an eye for tranquil coastal and harbour scenes as well as the untamed beauty of wildflower fields, Abelman demonstrates an easy confidence with colour and atmosphere. Take Barge in the Bay at Golden Hour. Subtle slate and lilac skies meld with the quiet indigo and pale lapis of the languid ocean surface. A dark figure pierces the scene—a barge backlit in the dusk. Its slow motion suits this serene world, but the space is not wholly untroubled. Wildflowers Pink/Mauve works a similar effect, as the floral tones of rouge and iris, pearl and ochre dance above the deep shadows beneath the long grass. Abelman luxuriates in nature’s elegance and charm, but his work is never wide-eyed.
Be it the passing vessel on the sea at sunset or a sudden autumn bloom, Abelman attends to the striking ephemeral moments we ought not to look over too quickly. The paintings are arresting in their attention to subtleties. With an unconventional horizon line, Abelman may call extra attention to the background sky or foreground water. Equally, with a bee’s eye view he may bring us closer to the tapestry of blossoms to better sense their vitality and mournfulness at once, urging us to stay awhile longer.
Michael Abelman lives and works in Vancouver, where he documents and paints in plein air, often under cloud cover but always with a sunny disposition. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Abelman received his undergraduate education at the University of the Witwatersrand and his Honours degree at the University of South Africa. He immigrated to Canada in 1992. Abelman continues to work at improving his painterly technique and growing as an artist. He has and continues to take Continuing Education courses in painting at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where he finds inspiration as a life-long learner devoted to his craft.
Queen Elizabeth Park
36”x36”, acrylic on canvas
Passing ships in the night
40”x30”, acrylic on canvas
Wildflowers
36”x36”, acrylic on canvas