Artist In Residence

Mike Elsass

May 22 - June 4, 2012

October 10 - 21, 2012

Join our returning artist Mike Elsass in an interactive painting workshop as he shows you how to let go of control and your notions of "what is right" in order to paint what is natural for you at that precise moment. A Miraval favorite you don't want to miss!

You will learn to use color, texture and “paint in the moment” as you paint several pieces and take home a piece of your original artwork. Mike brings his easy smile, laid-back attitude, sense of humor and his great painting know-how to Miraval for an outdoor workshop. Look for him and his paints in the courtyard outside of Palm Court. Stop by for a minute or an hour for an unforgettable painting experience.

Mike is well known for his vibrant abstract paintings on rusted steel. “It’s a rush ahead of the brain: ready, aim, fire. You paint first and get introspective later” Elsass said. “Everyone puts on a white tuxedo shirt, it’s letting yourself go with no fear and no mistakes, that’s the way I paint.”

A note from Mike:

I paint abstract on rusted sheets of steel and my art is spiritual and meditative. By painting, sponging, and sanding, the steel evolves until the final coating. Many pieces have over 40 coats of paint and glazing. The steel represents strength, life's elements, aging, imperfection and beauty.

My spirit lies on the road. From my first series in Quebec, Canada to the Gulf Coast winter and the Louisiana swamps, I draw my energy from nature and life. The Arizona desert and the Kentucky countryside blend my art. My beautiful Ohio country barn loft and studios on Easy Ave. and my new Front St. location in Dayton give me time to reflect and paint in solitude.

Welcome to my world...

Gabrielle McKenna

April 25 - 29, 2012

Looming larger and more intimate than in real life, the floral paintings of Gabrielle McKenna push the classical boundaries of "still life".Vivid,deeply coloured and felt,these paintings reflect Gabrielle's "outward expression of her interior experiance". A fine artist since high school,her work has been displayed in galleries from Soho to Santa Fe to West Hollywood.Her talents led her to a long career as a respected Hollywood scenic artist and sign painter.Working on projects as diverse as "Cowboys and Aliens", "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Dexter", she's kept busy creating physical art for artificial worlds.But her personal work  has been equally important,driving her to explore her distinctive view on the natural world. This collection of Gabrielle's most recent work represents the inner side of an over sized talent.

Mark Chatterley

September 24-28, 2012

With over 30 years experience in Figurative Sculpture, Mark Chatterley joins us at Miraval this fall.

"Everything is either moving toward or away from nothingness. Life, death, creation and destruction this is the world I find myself in.

I want my art to echo these thoughts, everything in a state of flux, changing and reforming. A sense of decay along with life. Nothing is permanent and nothing stays the same." -Mark Chatterley