Studio Notes

Calypso wood print art by Michael Vargas
art story

Calypso: Finding a Face in the Wood Grain

Some pieces start with an idea. Calypso started with the wood.I'd been staring at a sheet of birch panel for longer than I probably needed to, thinking about how much of the grain I wanted to keep ...

art storyVooDoo Guey art print by Michael Vargas

VooDoo Guey: A Love Letter to the Dance Floor

VooDoo Guey exists because of one song, played at the right volume, at the right time, on a night I still think about.The title's a play on "Voodoo Ray," the A Guy Called Gerald track that's been a...

art storyTotem BWR Face art print by Michael Vargas

Totem BWR Face: Down to Black, White, and Red

Totem BWR Face is the piece where I made myself stop. Every color I could have added, every extra line I could have drawn, I didn't.BWR is exactly what it sounds like, black, white, red, and nothin...

art storyZenith art print by Michael Vargas

Zenith: Finding Stillness in the Gaze

A single gaze, painted at its peak. Why the eyes in Zenith carry the whole piece.