Michael Blessing spent his formative years in rural Montana, surrounded by the land, the people, and the experiences that small town America provided. Having discovered an inclination toward gurative painting, he favors a candid view of his subjects. As a kid growing up in mid last century America, brightly lit neon signs oen captured Michael’s imagination and interest, prompting him to combine his love of painting the gure with his love of the nostalgic pull of neon in his ‘Neon West’ series. As a rule, Michael Blessing is drawn to strong compositions, vibrant color, and bold lines. His gurative work and paintings of vintage Western nostalgia are widely appealing, oen reminiscent of classic Americana, and have an edgy quality that is both contemporary and timeless. Michael’s work has been featured in various publications, including Western Art & Architecture, Big Sky Journal, Montana Quarterly and Western Art Collector, and his paintings have won Awards of Excellence from both Western Art Collector and Southwest Art Magazines. He is also the recipient of the BOLDBRUSH award for April 2016.