American painter Michael Carson studied design at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design before becoming a fine artist. He didn’t start painting until several years after graduating in 1996, now creating paintings with an atmospheric realism inspired by Norman Rockwell, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and John Singer Sargent.
For Carson, who was born and raised in Minneapolis and is now based in Arizona, every work is a chance to explore the interplay of color and light. Carson is also fascinated by texture, with how the movement of the brush guides the eye and can drastically alter the mood of a painting. “I like the fact that the face can be such a subtle subject, and one brushstroke can be the difference in the feel of the entire piece,” he has stated.
As a figurative painter and visual storyteller in the mold of Joseph Lorusso, Carson often focuses on solitary women, particularly concentrating on fashion and settings like nightclubs and cafés, embodying the mood of a moment. Never objectified, his subjects and especially the depth of their facial expressions reflect Carson’s desire to follow in French painter Toulouse-Lautrec’s footsteps and “just exist and observe and create,” as he told Resident magazine. Music is a major influence, with Carson borrowing song lyrics for titles and painting the cover of American singer-songwriter Matt Berninger’s 2020 album Serpentine Prison.
Allowing globs of paint to trail down the canvas, Carson wipes away colors to create a translucent glaze, layering patterns and figures to ghostly effect. These techniques are aimed at shifting viewer perspective and encouraging a closer look at the detailed brushwork and what’s happening just under the surface of his muted palettes.
Find Michael Carson’s art on 1stDibs.
"Watcher" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Watcher" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. This beautiful, handcrafted oil painting rests at 30 x 22", a...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Italian Chair" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Italian Chair" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting and is framed in a black float frame. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painte...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Red Tights" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Red Tights" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting and is framed in a black float frame and is ready to hang. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a M...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Land" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Land" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of A...
Oil, Wood Panel
"All Roads Lead Home" Original Oil Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "All Roads Lead Home" is an original, handmade oil painting that is framed in a black float frame. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painte...
Oil, Wood Panel
$12,000
"Portrait of Britt Daniel, " Original Oil Painting with Resin by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Portrait of Britt Daniel" is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis...
Oil, Wood Panel
$18,134
H 20 in W 14 in
La Parisienne - Impressionist Portrait Oil Painting by Jean Beraud
By Jean Beraud 1
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed full length portrait circa 1890 by French impressionist painter Jean Beraud. The work depicts a Parisian lady in a green tuile skirt, a blue jacket with fur and black lace up ...
Oil, Panel
$4,849
H 29.14 in W 38.98 in D 1.19 in
Oxford Street - original impressionism oil painting-contemporary Art
By Michael Alford
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Oil, Panel
$4,849
H 29.14 in W 38.98 in D 1.19 in
Bloomsbury - original impressionism oil painting-contemporary Art
By Michael Alford
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Oil, Panel
$4,849
H 29.14 in W 38.98 in D 1.19 in
Trafalgar Square, North -original impressionism oil painting-contemporary Art
By Michael Alford
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Oil, Panel
$3,893
H 29.14 in W 29.14 in D 1.19 in
Winter Café, Sloane Square- original impressionism oil painting-contemporary Art
By Michael Alford
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Oil, Panel
$5,400Sale Price|25% Off
H 30 in W 26 in D 2 in
The Strength Within, Oil Painting , Figurative , Texas artist, Boxing, Austin
By Karen Offutt
Located in Houston, TX
Karen Offutt approaches The Strength Within 30 x 26 oval , oil on panel with an atmospheric sensitivity combining shape, tone line, and color. Karen ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,800
H 14 in W 11 in D 1.5 in
Mario, Oil on Linen/Panel, Impressionism, Oil Painters of America, Portrait
By Judy Crowe
Located in Houston, TX
LOOK FOR FREE SHIPPING AT CHECKOUT Mario is a portrait by Judy Crowe that was just completed in 2022 Mario is an example of the the Impressionist painters that the artist most adm...
Oil, Linen, Wood Panel
$1,297
H 5.91 in W 9.85 in D 1.19 in
Cannon Street-original impressionism cityscape oil painting-contemporary Art
By Michael Alford
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Oil, Panel
$7,500
H 17.75 in W 22 in
"Susan in Red, White and Blue" (2017) By Hollis Dunlap, Oil Portrait Painting
By Hollis Dunlap
Located in Denver, CO
Hollis Dunlap's (US based) "Susan in Red, White and Blue" (2017) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman in a white dress relaxing on a multicolored couch...
Oil, Panel
$711Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.36 in W 14.18 in D 2.37 in
Gypsy Woman Oil on Panel Portrait, Impressionist, Framed, 1940s
Located in Valladolid, ES
This exceptional oil on canvas, painted in France in the 1940s, is titled “Gypsy Woman.” It depicts the bust of a young woman, captured with serene intensity and profound expressiven...
Wood Panel
$6,200
H 32 in W 32 in D 3 in
Fading Oil on Panel Female Figurative/ Portrait Texas Artist 32" x 32"
By Karen Offutt
Located in Houston, TX
Karen Offutt approaches Fading 30 x 30, oil on panel with an atmospheric sensitivity combining shape, tone line, and color. Karen is best known for her figurative paintings. Karen...
Oil, Panel
$600
H 8 in W 8 in D 1.25 in
You Should Have Seen the Other One Female Portrait Boxing REDUCED
By Jeanie Tomanek
Located in Houston, TX
You Should Have seen the Other Gal By Jeanie Tomanek is an 8" x 8" oil painting on panel. It has on a custom frame. You Should Have seen the Other Gal was part of a boxing exhibiti...
Oil, Panel
$1,170
H 8 in W 10 in
"Resist" - Impressionist Female Profile Portrait, Original Oil Painting
By Mia Bergeron
Located in Denver, CO
Mia Bergeron's (US based) "Resist" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman, with straight across bangs, in profile where the bright light from a window casts her s...
Oil, Panel
$3,225
H 15.75 in W 13.39 in D 2.37 in
Oil painting on panel portrait of a lady by Harry Humphrey MOORE
Located in Gavere, BE
Oil painting on panel portrait of a lady by Harry Humphrey MOORE Harry Humphrey Moore ( 1844, New York City - 1926, Paris) was an American painter; best known for his works depicti...
Oil, Wood Panel
Portrait of a Boy Peeling Fruit
By Eugene von Blaas
Located in Milford, NH
A wonderful three quarter portrait of a boy in a straw hat peeling a piece of fruit, probably an orange, by Italian artist Eugene Von Blaas (1843-1942). Von Blaas was born to Austria...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Verðandi" (2025) Oil Portrait Painting on Panel
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Verandi (the "" is pronounced like a "th") is one of the Norse fates. She is the allotter of time, the winder, and the one that determines how long ones thread will be in the tapestr...
Oil, Panel
Sold
H 26 in W 20 in
"Holding" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Holding" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College o...
Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 26 in W 20 in
"Proposition" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Proposition" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis Colle...
Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 50 in W 38 in
"Purgatory Heaven" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Purgatory Heaven" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis ...
Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 24 in W 18 in
"Resigned" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Resigned" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting that is framed in a black float frame. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, a...
Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 30 in W 20 in
"Stolen" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Stolen" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of...
Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 22 in W 32 in
"The Cicadas" (2024) Original Oil Animal Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "The Cicadas" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis Colle...
Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 50 in W 38 in
"Dimensional" (2024) Original Oil Portrait Painting by Michael Carson
By Michael Carson
Located in Denver, CO
Michael Carson's (US based) "Dimensional" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting. About the Artist: Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis Colle...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Sticks & Blue Dress"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, whose artwork can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the Unite...
Oil
"Listen"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Mike Carson is a Minneapolis painter, and graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, whose artwork can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the Unite...
Oil
"One Man Guy"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Michael Carson’s glamorous scenes, set in bars, clubs, cafés, and dance studios, are marked by a hazy realism reminiscent of French impressionist and post-impressionist works by arti...
Oil, Panel
"Smalls"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Michael Carson’s glamorous scenes, set in bars, clubs, cafés, and dance studios, are marked by a hazy realism reminiscent of French impressionist and post-impressionist works by arti...
Oil, Panel
"Lotus Flower"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Michael Carson’s glamorous scenes, set in bars, clubs, cafés, and dance studios, are marked by a hazy realism reminiscent of French impressionist and post-impressionist works by arti...
Oil, Panel
"Fleur du Mal V"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Michael Carson’s glamorous scenes, set in bars, clubs, cafés, and dance studios, are marked by a hazy realism reminiscent of French impressionist and post-impressionist works by arti...
Oil, Panel
"Fleur du Mal III"
By Michael Carson
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Michael Carson’s glamorous scenes, set in bars, clubs, cafés, and dance studios, are marked by a hazy realism reminiscent of French impressionist and post-impressionist works by arti...
Oil, Panel