Mike King

I have been drawing and painting for over 55 years. My mother, Betty Lee King, saw my talent and encouraged me to pursue it. I studied oil painting, art history, drawing and composition at Allegany College in Cumberland, Md. When I moved to Tampa I took oil painting lessons from Bruce Marsh and watercolor lessons from Bill Waller. I began a small business doing watercolor and pencil portraits of children in the local youth sports organizations as well as picture framing. I displayed my art with Nuance Galleries, Tampa, as well as galleries in Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Dade City, Tarpon Springs and Dunedin. My artistic influences come from a deep interest in art history and looking at thousands of paintings. Just as a musician listens to a variety of music, I look at art in all genres. The impressionists, realists, and abstract expressionists are my source of inspiration.