I love to paint. I love to capture the essence of a three dimensional  
scene in two dimensions. It's my passion.

I recall an early interest in art, beginning with drawing and painting
as a child – a passion that has continued all my life. A native of
Alexandria, Va., I studied art at Virginia Commonwealth University
in Richmond,Va., before joining the armed forces. The Air Force
brought me to eastern North Carolina in 1977 and after three
years and a tour in Korea, I opened a sign business in Goldsboro, NC.
Though I made my living with a brush painting signs, my fine art
interests took a backseat to building a business and raising a family.

I rediscovered my passion for painting after seeing California style
impressionism in one of my surfing magazines.  I was hooked.

My previous style had been tight and realistic, but what I was
seeing in the surf magazines left more to the viewers imagination.
Details were left out, and it was loose and exciting to look at. So I
picked up some oils and a canvas, and a few books on plein air (outdoor)
painting. In one of those books it said- to become a proficient
plein air painter you should try to block-in (lay in the large shapes
and colors) one hundred paintings in less than 3 months, even if
they can't be finished. I did the hundred "starts" (as they are called), and
I can't seem to shake the habit, even now, creating over 150 finished
paintings a year. I have now studied with renowned plein air painters
John Silver and Rick McClure.

I mostly work in acrylics because of my fast paced
lifestyle, painting mostly near the coast.
Artist Statement
About Mike Rooney
All information, graphics, photographs and designs on this website
Copyright 2008 Mike Rooney.