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Fascinated with Kansas weather, Michael Duane captures the beautiful scenic flint hills with the sharp contrasts of an oncoming thunderstorm or a simple far-off cloud in pastel.  His distinctive illustrative style provides an ethereal sensation, creating a countryside filled with the pleasure of quilted comfort accompanied by a sky filled with an awe inspiring weather event.

Michael Duane’s love of the visual arts began when he was a young boy. He earned his bachelor’s degree of fine arts/design at the University of Kansas in 1980. Over the years, he has created a wide variety of art, including caricatures in pen and ink, landscapes, and city scenes in watercolor and acrylic. He eventually began working with pastels exclusively, impressed by the bold, pure colors of the medium. Michael found his niche by combining his love of art with his lifelong fascination with the weather. In a distinctive illustrative style, he paints subject matter as diverse as an oncoming thunderstorm or a simple far-off cloud, usually over the vast Kansas landscape or the occasional urban skyline. Michael has participated in numerous juried and solo exhibitions and has won many awards. He is a Master Pastelist and former vice president of the MidAmerica Pastel Society.

Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette by Cheryl Unruh:

We would like to thank Cheryl Unruh for the beautifully written piece in her Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: Flyover People column by Cheryl Unruh

She talks about her first experience at SouthWind Gallery; meeting Gary, the Humble Shopkeeper; viewing this month's featured artist Michael Duane's work and the enthusiasm in the Topeka art scene. 

Please take a look at her post and give her some much deserved feedback! Naturally, we LOVE it!

 

WIBW Weatherman Visits Ethereal Visions of the Flint Hills Opening

Here are a couple of videos at April's First Friday Art Walk from WIBW News with weatherman Jeremy Goodwin. Left is of the live unveiling of "Flint Hills Near and Far #3" by Michael Duane. Right is the feature that ran on the 10 o'clock news, where Michael discusses his inspiration.

	VIEW VIDEO		VIEW VIDEO

We would like to thank Jeremy Goodwin and all the staff at WIBW for all their hard work on First Friday... it was a lot of fun having you at the gallery.