Sarasota artist draws audience with live show at Wyland Gallery

Michael DeWulf paints for 10 to 14 hours a day, and in the past six months he has painted 437 original art pieces. 

“The definition of an artist is somebody who is constantly trying to reinvent themselves,” said DeWulf. “You really need to constantly be looking for new ways, new things to do. So that's why if you look at my work, like every piece is different. I'm not like a one-trick pony.”

Wyland Gallery on St. Armands Circle hosted DeWulf’s live art show Aug. 4-6. DeWulf painted new pieces in the gallery while people stopped by throughout the day and watched him work on his craft. He said that he can’t categorize his art into one type because he experiments with every medium but is most well-known for his “Women Underwater” paintings.

Photo by Petra Rivera

This past year, DeWulf hit his big break as an artist when he signed with James Coleman Studios. He has been traveling around the U.S. and auctioning his work with the art brokerage, Park West Gallery Auctions. He also has had opportunities to paint for Disney focusing on Star Wars- and Marvel-themed art. 

“Art is my diary,” said DeWulf. “If I ever run out of inspiration, I just talk to somebody who's different than me. I love to talk with so many different people and then applying them to my art. I love finding them. And if I don’t find them, they will find me.” 

Inspired by his artist parents, DeWulf has been an artist since his childhood. He grew up in Detroit and went to six different art schools throughout his life. His mother is a medical illustrator, drawing art in different anatomy books for colleges. While his mother's work is extremely detailed, his father's is the opposite. Trying all art forms such as painting and sculpting, DeWulf said his father was a very expressive artist. This dynamic has encouraged him to branch out in his art.

Photo by Petra Rivera

“I've had thousands of jobs,” said DeWulf. “But all along, I always come back to being an artist. I've always loved art more than anything. I've gone years without painting. I owned a tattoo shop downtown Sarasota for seven years and it was booming, but it's just I've always known that I was meant to be an artist. I feel like all of those things make me the artist I am now.”

DeWulf has plans for two international art cruises and art shows around the U.S. With the help of his studio, he keeps growing his experience in creating art and getting his name out there around the world.

“My biggest goal and art is not just to be inspired, but to inspire others,” said DeWulf. “I feel like it's our duty as artists, to inspire people, encourage people, because art is a hard thing.”