Michael Maas, a native of the upper mid-west, draws his inspiration from the beauty of creation and of fond memories throughout his life. While growing up in a small Minnesota town, his ability to see the beauty in the most simple of his surroundings was sometimes mistaken for idle daydreaming. Over the years, his appreciation and desire to express these visual images has culminated into a career of creating his distinctive artwork. Through composition, color, and a general sense of realism, Michael likes to capture the feeling of the moment, place, or subject, and transfer that impression into his paintings.       "My goal is not to create a painting that looks like a photograph, but to create a painting that reflects the feeling of the moment and maintains a "painted" quality. I will work on a painting just long enough to capture what I think will express the inspiration that led me to create the painting," says Maas.     "I have always admired the great impresssionist painters of the past and their ability to interpret what they saw, while conveying their inspiration at the same time. In my own unique style of painting that I describe as "impressionistic realism", I attempt to do the same." Acrylic paints and pastels are his current media of choice. His subject matter comes primarily from Minnesota and the upper mid-west. From his original works of art, Michael Maas creates limited edition signed and numbered fine art giclee prints of his distinctive paintings. He also creates and sells original and commissioned pieces of his artwork. His work can be seen and purchased at Juried art shows and festivals throughout the upper mid-west, at galleries, and online at www.artbymaas.com .       _____Artistic Impressions by Michael Maas - 1629 Mosher Ave., Owatonna, Minnesota 55060 (507) 446-8502 >>email ____Copyright © 2007 - Michael D. Maas. Reproduction of these images is prohibited without written permission of the artist. _