Finding Art Again is the Art-Blog of Michael A. Giza.
Michael A. Giza is a visual artist currently residing in Bristol Connecticut. Fine watercolor is his current preferred medium but he prefers not to be restricted to just one medium. “I have worked in oil, acrylic, drawing, collage and even sculpture. Sometimes a different medium from what you are working in provides the best solution to the artistic problem you are solving.”
Michael also has a healthy appreciation of crafts of all sorts being surrounded by a creative family. “Someone was always making something and if they were not making something, they were singing or dancing. Many people don’t view crafts as an art form and I have to admit, I fall into that trap myself sometimes but once you begin the process of a new craft it’s obvious the skill and creative spark needed to do it well. Our society should have a greater appreciation of crafters and I think the line between art and craft should blur more.”
While he has enjoyed artistic pursuits from an early age, he didn’t pursue a serious study of art until high school. “I was visiting a friend one day and his parents were raving about how awesome this drawing he had done was and I thought to myself. I could do that. Before that time I had not realized the value in a person’s creative output. It’s a very obvious thing, but not necessarily on a twelve year olds agenda. I never thought to share my art. It was just something for myself in the odd sketch or coloring book.” Since that time he has attended countless art classes and has attended the “school of experience” often referred to as being “self-taught”.
In the late 1980’s Michael worked for the now defunct Lippincott Inc. of North Haven a fabrication shop that created large scale metal sculptures. “I enjoyed being surrounded by all that creativity even though most of my tasks involved a broom or sandpaper. I always dreamed that someday I could have a piece made by that shop but I suppose that was not meant to be.” Later he worked as a metal finisher for his brother Edward Giza who ran a fabrication shop catering towards architects. These artists designed everything from tables to drawer pulls out of metal. “It was a fun time and the best part had to be all the scrap metal I could build sculptures out of. It was probably the most creative time of my life.”
While the materials and ability to sculpt in metal are no longer available – Michael is happy to work in two dimensions finding painting a relaxing escape from the stress of office work. “I’ve always had this conflict in my brain – the creative side fighting the logical side. Somehow the mix of my programming “day” job with my artistic evenings provides enough variety to keep me happy.” Just for fun he indulges in what he calls “silly office craft”. “This happens when you are sitting at your desk waiting for some process to complete and you start thinking of things you can make from what you have at hand.”
Between commission projects Michael is working on his growing online portfolio and offers some of his designs on an online “print on demand” shop. “It’s a great way to share the designs I come up with many people.” He also likes to explore a new craft or technique from time to time. “You have to mix things up every once in a while just to see where it leads.”