M.Hoerbelt
My journey as an artist began in 2007 at Alden High School, when I first discovered the joy of oil paint. I chose a house from a magazine, Western House, sketched it onto a small 11 x 14 inch canvas, and painted from background to foreground. Oil paint moved differently than acrylic — smooth like butter, with a depth and opacity that felt alive. It stayed workable longer, allowing me to mix and layer directly on the canvas through varying amounts of pressure.
That idea — applying pressure — became a foundation in my work, and has evolved over the years.
My early abstract splatter paintings, such as Lava Flow, Crashing Ocean Waves, and Can’t Contain It, explored this concept in a more physical way. Using an air compressor from my dad’s garage, I blew paint across the lawn at different angles, chasing movement, fragmentation, and natural patterns. I experimented with acrylic mediums as well, pushing paint toward something sculptural — something that could rise off the surface.
Over time, I returned primarily to oil painting. Acrylic, while useful for speed, felt limiting — it dried too quickly and often interrupted the process. As I matured, I began to understand that the work wasn’t about producing more, but about staying present in it. The pieces shown here reflect that shift — each one selected for its ability to hold the time, attention, and feeling that went into it.
In recent years, I’ve explored palette knife work in landscapes and seascapes, alongside more traditional brush techniques in sensual subject matter. Across both, the intention remains the same: not simply to depict a subject, but to create an emotional charge.
Painting since 2007, and holding an AAS in Fine Arts from Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY, I work primarily in oil to create images that prioritize feeling over subject. Whether through impressionistic landscapes or intimate moments, each piece seeks to hold tension, presence, and release. My process is grounded in the physical interaction between hand, paint, and surface, where force and restraint shape the final image.
At its core, my work asks a simple question: whether we are looking at an impressionistic landscape or a moment of intimacy, what does it mean for an image to truly carry emotional weight beyond what is simply seen?
Michael C. Hoerbelt
