Biographical Information

Mike was born and raised in California with artistic abilities noted early in his life. He worked in law enforcement, however, over a quarter of a century before turning to art full-time. Mike spent three years studying art at the California Art Institute following degrees from LA Valley College and Pepperdine University. He has also attended many workshops hosted by distinguished institutions and artist/teachers.

Mike primarily paints oil paintings on location but also in his studio in Placerville, California. He finds inspiration from the Sierra Nevada mountain views and spends much of his time painting between Lake Tahoe and one of his favorites: Yosemite National Park. He also paints oil paintings of cowboys, American Indians and wildlife. His paintings are strongly influenced by a number of distinguished master artists including Edgar Payne, Maurice Braun, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.

Colleagues refer to Mike as a draftsman in that his renderings are very accurate while his style is impressionistic. His portraits show a spark of the subject’s personality. Mike's paintings are in a number of collections in the United States and abroad in England, Japan and Switzerland. 

 
Artist Statement
I am an oil painter who loves the great outdoors from the mountains to the seas.  My favorite painting locations are mostly in our nation’s National Parks which I believe contain the most awe-inspiring scenery in the world.  I also love our American heritage from the settlers who perilously ventured out west to the American Indians who understood the rugged unspoiled beauty of our western landscape long before we settled here.  
 
I paint primarily from life.  I don't believe that painting from photographs lends itself to true value or color relationships or other proper compositional elements of a great work of art. I pride myself on being able to paint from life quickly and accurately whether the subject is our beautiful western landscape or a model posing in period costume. I do use photographs for cowboy, American Indian and wildlife paintings due to posing problems that I'm sure you can imagine! Many of these paintings were created from or enhanced using plein air studies as are my larger studio landscapes.  My goal is to give the art patron a two-dimensional piece of fine art that is as close to three-dimensional as possible without seeming contrived, abstract or photo realistic. 

I hope that the ability given me to paint my view of our countries greatest treasures will inspire the viewers as much as it inspires and intrigues me every single day.

GALLERIES

Winters Fine Art & Sculpture Gallery, Carmel Highlands, CA

Winters Fine Art Gallery, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA

Portico Fine Art, Montecito, CA

The Coastside: A Gallery, Half Moon Bay, CA

Goldsmith Gallery, Placerville, CA

Mike Bagdonas Studio, Placerville, CA

ART AFFILIATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS

PaintAmerica Signature Society

Oil Painters of America - Artist member

Laguna Plein Air Painters Association - Artist member

California Art Club - Artist Associate member

El Dorado County Arts Council - Artist member

EDUCATION

1993 – 1996 California Art Institute Thousand Oaks, CA

1974 – 1975 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA

1971 – 1973 Pepperdine University Malibu, CA

1968 – 1970 Los Angeles Valley College Van Nuys, CA

ONE OR TWO PERSON ART SHOWS

2007 Vault Gallery Two Man Show Sonora, CA

2005 Chablis Gallery  One Man Show  Wild Wild West 
            Placerville, CA
1997 Brentwood Art Center  Two Man Show  Brentwood, CA

MUSEUM OR OTHER SPECIAL VENUE ART EXHIBITIONS/SHOWS 

2010, 2009, 2008, 2007  National Paint The Parks Top 100 & Mini 50

Exhibitions as follows:

          Jefferson Nat'l Expansion Memorial, St Louis, MO

           Kolb Studio, Grand Canyon, AZ

          RW Norton Art Museum, Shreveport, LA

          Indiana Dunes National Park, Hammond, Indiana

          St George Museum  2007 St George, UT

2009  "2009 Natural World Observed", NAPPAP Signature Member Exhibit
          Tweed Museum, Exhibit, Duluth, MN
2009  "2008 Paint America Top 100 Exhibition", 
          Cornell Museum-Old School Square, Delray, FL
2008 100 Years of National Parks in Utah Plein Air Exhibit,
          Museum of Moab,  Moab, Utah
          Edge of Cedars Museum, Blanding, Utah
2007 "Northern Views" Juried plein air exhibit, 

          Napa Valley Museum, Yountville, CA.

SELECTED PLEIN AIR EVENTS/EXHIBITIONS/SHOWS 

2011  Markleville, CA Plein Air Invitational

2010  San Luis Obispo, CA Plein Air

2010, 2008, 2006, 2005 LPAPA 'The Best of Plein Air" , Laguna Beach, CA
2010  Los Gatos, CA Plein Air
2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005 Carmel Art Festival Plein Air
2009  North Tahoe Plein Air
2009, 2008, 2007, 2006  Invited artist, Estes Park Int'l Plein Air  
2009  San Clemente Plein Air
2009, 2008  Invited artist, Nomadas Del Arte Plein Air, 5 Southwest States

         2009 Southwest Art Gallery, Dallas, TX

         2008 Sage Creek Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2008  Season of Martis Plein Air, Truckee, CA
2008  100 Years of National Parks in Utah Plein Air
2008, 2007 Frank Bette Plein Air Paintout, Alameda, CA.

2007 Invited artist, Gold Country Plein Air, Sonora, CA.

2006 Marin County Fair Plein Air

SELECTED GROUP ART EXHIBITIONS/SHOWS 

2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 California Landscape Painters Exhibition 
            John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA

2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 Juried event, National Paint The Parks Top
            100 and Mini 50 Exhibitions, numerous exhibit locations throughout USA

2010 "Paint The Forests" National Art Competition,
            Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc., Lee Youngman Gallery,

            Calistoga, CA.  other exhibitions to follow in 2011

2010, 2009, 2006  Juried event, LPAPA "Less is More" Exhibition, Costa Mesa, CA

2010, 2007  Juried event, "Salon International",  Greenhouse Gallery

2008 Juried event " Paint America Top 100 Competition" , numerous

            exhibit locations throughout USA
2008, 2007 NAPPAP Professional(Signature) member Exhibition,
            2008 Adam Whitney Gallery, Omaha, NE

            2007 Texas Art Gallery, Dallas, TX
2008 Juried exhibit, OPA Western Regional Exhibition, Devin
            Galleries, Coeur d' Alene, ID
2007 Yosemite Show Invitational Vault Gallery, Sonora, CA