The Art of Michael Calandra

Working primarily with the airbrush, acrylic paint, and colored pencils, fantasy artist Michael Calandra strives to create images of a dark and haunting nature. Often depicting a commanding and sensuous female figure, he uses dramatic poses, lighting, and color to produce atmospheric settings that reflect the essence of his subjects.   

(...) Michael's fantasy work has been featured in many publications and is sought after by collectors worldwide. He freelances for card companies, rock bands, and other independent clients and was also selected to create images for George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones role-playing game card sets. Through his convention appearances, he has been able to work with some horror film icons, including a joint production with Image Ten, Inc., producers of the original 1968 Night of the Living Dead.  

Michael Calandra owns and operates Frameworks Art and Frame in Sylvania, Ohio, which doubles as his studio space.

 Art Scene:
Michael, since you have been awarded a full scholarship for college you must have had some talent showing... so I was wondering if there's some creative talent in your family?

 Michael:
Its kind of funny - but there is no artistic talent at all in my immediate family! My wife, son, and daughter are all artistic, so it seems to be in the blood, but I have no idea who I got it from. Genetic mistake, probably!

   Art Scene:
Well... one to be thankful for I would say! You say that you actually started with wildlife art before you switched to the world of fantasy.

 Michael:
True. As a young boy, I was obsessed with animals and wildlife. I spent most of my days in the woods, ponds, or fields around my parent's house hunting or fishing. When I got into college, one of the professors was a very good wildlife artist. I naturally tried to follow in his footsteps and I did for a while. I was also trying to make a transition into more "acceptable" art, since I didn't think it possible to make a living doing horror and fantasy art at that time, or, because I was young, I didn't know how to go about it. 

 Art Scene:
Your wildlife art is amazing and can definitely keep up with some of today's best wildlife artists. Why did you get discouraged with it?

 Michael:
I was doing competitions and shows in the mid 1980's into the mid 90's, and I think I got a bit discouraged with the politics of the competitions. Since art can be very subjective, it seems that judges would gravitate towards selecting "known artists" or "local favorites" as winners to help generate print sales. From my experience, I didn't feel that winning pieces were being judged on their artistic merit. Plus, I did see the popularity of wildlife art slowly winding down. It is still very popular, but the number of mid-level artists has decreased because the public seems to be buying and collecting the top artists. 

 www.calandrastudio.com
 Read the whole article in issue 78.