From an early age, Michael Krebbs was surrounded by art. His father was an accomplished painter and sculptor surrounding him with art. In his teens and twenties, he gravitated toward music, but the deep love of visual arts instilled in him as a child, blossomed after a fateful trip to Taos, New Mexico. There, he signed up for a three-hour painting lesson—and he was hooked. From that moment on, he knew he wanted to be a painter.

Recently we chatted with Michael about his inspirations and goals.

Q~How do you decide on the themes or subjects of your pieces? Is there a particular message you aim to convey?

A~Nature is the subject I always gravitate towards in my work, so that part is easy. The challenge can be successfully conveying the magic and essence of the natural world, particularly light. When I first started painting, I was kind of obsessed with capturing light. I’m still very inspired by it and how it interacts with trees, mesas, clouds, and everything else.

Q ~ How do you stay motivated and find inspiration, especially during creative blocks?

A~Finding ways to stay inspired varies quite a bit for me. It can be anything from looking at other artist’s work to going for a hike. I’m very passionate about music, so sometimes I find inspiration in that as well. When I’m really struggling, I’ll look at my work from the first year I started painting and I realize how far I’ve come. This is great because it forces me to understand how hard I’ve worked and what I’ve accomplished.

Q~ What is the greatest reward of your work?

A~The greatest reward is when my work reaches someone on a deep, emotional level. It’s incredibly satisfying and humbling when someone tells me how much they enjoy a painting I created. It’s also very rewarding when someone mentions how a scene I painted reminds them of a place they know and love.

Q ~ What are your future goals with your work?

A ~ I’m looking forward to getting my website up and running and to continue to participate in exhibitions. I’d also like to get back to just painting more in general. It’s been challenging this past year to paint as much as I’d like, so I look forward to getting back to a good routine.

Q ~ Any final thoughts you would like to share with our readers?

A ~ It was very bittersweet when I first started selling my work because while I was thrilled and frankly shocked that someone was actually buying my paintings, I also felt a sense of sadness. It was like losing a close friend. I think it just shows how much love and passion artists put into everything we create.

Since March 2022, Michael has been a member of SAAG. “Being a member has been amazing! It’s opened so many doors for me to exhibit my work and to meet wonderful artists.” Michael is an oil painter and his work can be found at: SAAG Gallery, SAAG website

Click here to see Michael’s portfolio page with SAAG.

Click here to find Michael on the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona website.

Click here to find Michael o the National Arts Program website.

Visit his Instagram at: @michaelkrebbsfineart.