IMAGES 2024 Featured Artist:Michael Braun, Digital Art, Tampa, Florida“Original abstracts hand-painted with a digital paintbrush, a method developed by the artist. Layers & lighting show depth & create interest and illusion. Each image is beautifully rendered and framed.”
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ABOUT THE ARTISTMichael Braun was raised in Rye N.Y. He studied industrial design at the University of Bridgeport. In his early twenties, Michael became fascinated with the color, feel and designs of fabrics. He turned this passion into art that he could wear. Not only did he design and sew clothes, but often hand-painted or embroidered them as well. Michael sailed since a little kid and in 1966, he came to Florida on an Ocean Racing Sailboat to race in the Southern Circuit, which starts in St. Petersburg, FL. A minor sailing accident, however, changed his fate and consequently he began selling the clothes that he had designed and sewn. Word spread to local musicians about these really cool clothing designs, and with his business partner, Toni Ackerman, he formed Michael & Toni Designs. Within a year they landed one of their biggest clients, Jimi Hendrix. From that point forward, the client list grew to include many other late 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s musical artists, including: Sly & the Family Stone, Chicago, Sonny & Cher, Bob Dylan, Temptations, Allman Brothers Band, Three Dog Night, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, etc. |
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Many of Michael Braun’s outfits are immortalized on album covers, posters, magazines and TV shows. The patchwork velvet jacket he made for Jimi Hendrix hangs in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Later in his career Michael & Toni expanded to dress some of the top wrestlers in the world including Terry Bolea, a.k.a. Hulk Hogan, as well as Macho Man Randy Savage along with many other popular wrestlers. |
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Michael also explored other avenues in art. Learning about the vast capabilities of technology, he discovered the power to hand-paint virtually. This technique involves many brushes like oils, pastels, watercolor, calligraphy and painting on multiple layers which are worked carefully together to create a dimensional feel that’s unique to his style. A natural artistic transition from creating vivid stage clothes to ethereal pieces of fine art, Michael found comfort and freedom he never dreamed possible in this virtual realm. Now, his creations hang in another Hall of Fame, the “Digital Hall of Fame” in Malmo, Swedenas well as numerous collections throughout the world.
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Currently, he exhibits in outdoor juried art festivals including: Gasparailla Festival of the Arts, Artfest Fort Myers, Mainsail Art Festival, Coconut Grove Art Show, Bonita Springs National Art Festival, Downtown Festival of the Masters, Beaux Arts Museum, Great Gulf Coast Art Festival, as well as IMAGES: A Festival of the Arts in New Smyrna Beach. During the years of 2007 to this current year, 2023, Michael has won many awards, Blue Ribbons, Red Ribbons, as well as Patron Awards. He delights in interacting with art attendees, never tiring of explaining his process and answering the many questions from his personal history.
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