Campfire Tales

Michael Wayne Hall uses painting as a meditative practice. His work is always created by hand. Colors are individually mixed and remixed, and are applied without the use of tape or masking, allowing wobbles, smudges, and other imperfections to remain. It is important to him that while each piece is extremely precise, a close examination reveals the handmade nature of the process. His abstract paintings are grounded in his love of the flat-color aesthetics of vintage screenprints. He makes use of methodically blended color gradients to imply movement, transitions, and depth. The work feels familiar and yet modern, and is simultaneously both calming and energizing.

Michael attended the University of the Arts for film, learned screenprinting at Space 1026 in Philadelphia, and is a self taught painter, muralist, and woodworker.

His commission clients include Facebook, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Still Austin Whiskey Co, Nordstrom’s, Natiivo, Downtown Austin Alliance, Austin Energy, the City of Smithville Texas, Austin Daily Press, Blackfeather Vintage, Batch Craft Beers, the Little Darlin, Beautiful World Syndicate Records, East Side Glass, and many others.

He has exhibited in New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, Marfa, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and many other cities throughout the US.  He was one half of the experimental music duo and printing project, Ospreys, touring extensively from 2005-2009.  He has written about his experiences riding freight trains over the last 22 years for Faded Glory magazine, and for the French book about North American boxcar art, Outside the Box. In 1999, he co-founded the Lost Film Fest, a nomadic film festival.