Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Crissie.
Michael, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Years ago, I wanted to do something for my wife’s birthday, but she didn’t want me to buy anything. I remembered seeing some really neat storefront window painting when we were in Amsterdam and wanted to try something similar for her in a smaller scale. I ended up making her a basic Chicago skyline that she really liked. A friend saw the piece and commissioned something similar for her parents, using a window frame from the home she had grown up in. I really liked the idea of personalizing not just the picture for them but painting it on a piece of their childhood and began focusing my work on more sentimental pieces like this.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I paint custom skylines and cityscapes on vintage window frames reclaimed from old homes and factories around Chicago. I think the city has some amazing, bold lines, and it’s fun to capture them on glass. I started out painting them in black, but after being inspired by some cool street art near me, I began painting many of my skylines with a thick black outline and bright white shading, almost in a graffiti-like style. I know everything about a big city can seem jumbled and overwhelming, but my hope is that people can slow down and just take in the clean, simple lines that make the city beautiful and not be so overwhelmed by the sheer size of it all.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Though it’s always nice to sell pieces, I feel most successful when a friend of someone I’ve done a commission for comes up to me and shares their excitement in using a window from their family’s home for a piece of their own.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I currently have large pieces on display at the Argo on Rush, in the Gold Coast. I also have a smaller-framed collection at Paperish Mess in Ukrainian Village.
Contact Info:
- Website: Etsy.com/shop/windowartsy
- Email: michael.crissie@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/michaelcrissie
Image Credit:
Michael Crissie, Brian Crissie
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