Michael B. Karas, a nationally recognized marine and landscape artist, has been painting professionally for over 50 yearsOne of the most renowned artists of the Southeast, as well as his native New England, Michael B. Karas has unleashed a creative force within him that has led to the creation of many highly acclaimed marsh, beach, landscape and seascape paintings. Each one of his original creations expresses his passion for nature and the natural world around him. One prime element in all of Mr. Karas' work is his use of light. He loves the low light of early morning as well as late afternoon. He is drawn to dramatic cloud formations, the sea and the majesty of sunrises and sunsets across the water. Through his masterful brushwork, each painting, whether dramatic or subtle, evokes much beauty and truth. "Much of my painting is about a mood or a feeling rather than a documentation of a particular place. It is the essence of the subject I am after. Creating the illusion of detail without actually painting it, is what I find most challenging as a painter."As a young professional artist, Mr. Karas lived and painted on Cape Ann, Massachusetts until the early 1980's. He then traveled extensively painting across America for two and a half years. Eventually settling on the coast of Maine, he enjoyed painting the rugged coastline and dramatic landscape of that region for nearly 20 years. Rich in color and bold brushwork, his marine paintings masterfully express the ever-changing sea. His powerful oil paintings have been compared to the likes of Winslow Homer (1836-1910) and Frederick Waugh (1861-1940). "I love watching the sea. Over my lifetime as an artist, thousands of hours have been spent mesmerized by the sea’s eternal rhythm. In many of my seascape paintings, the churning surf is depicted erupting in an explosion of foam against the unyielding granite shore." In the early 1990's, Mr. Karas had his first introduction to the Southern landscape. He found the soft mud flats and sweeping marshes a stimulating contrast to the hard rocky coast of New England. He fell in love with the open skies and vast sandy beaches of coastal shorelines along the Atlantic and the Gulf. His dramatic southern beach paintings evoke both awe and fond memories to many who are drawn to being at the beach. Michael B. Karas is an avid salt-water fly fisherman, and always has his fly rod nearby.He believes observation is the key in creating a painting. The time of day he enjoys fishing, early morning before sunrise or early evening at sunset, is also the same time of day he artfully captures on canvas. Michael B. Karas has had 33 one-man shows in selected galleries throughout North America. Has been an elected Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), since 2001. He has exhibited his paintings in 25 museums across the United States including the following to name a few:Maine Maritime Museum; Bath, Maine, Newport Art Museum; Newport, Rhode Island, The Sailing Museum; Newport, Rhode Island, Mystic Seaport Museum; Mystic, Connecticut, Delaware Art Museum; Wilmington, Delaware, Muscarelle Museum of Art; Williamsburg, Virginia, Burroughs Chapin Museum of Art; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Vero Beach Museum of Art; Vero Beach, Florida, Cornell Museum of Art and American Culture; Delray Beach, Florida, Art Museum of the Southwest; Midland, Texas, Haggin Museum; Stockton, California, Coos Art Museum; Coos Bay, Oregon He has also exhibited his paintings at these highly regarded venues: The Harvard Club of Boston; Boston, Massachusetts, The Salmagundi Club; New York, New YorkThe paintings of Michael B. Karas are included in numerous prestigious collections such as the following to name a few:Inn at Harbour Town - Sea Pines Resort; Hilton Head, South Carolina, Harbour Town Golf Links - Sea Pines Resort; Hilton Head, South Carolina,Morgan Stanley; New York, New York, Bank of America; Wilmington, Delaware, L.C. Fulenwider Inc.; Denver, Colorado, PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC); Toronto, Ontario, Canada, The Brinton Museum; Big Horn, Wyoming, F. Clark Museum; Carversville, Pennsylvania, Art in Embassies - U.S. Department of State; Washington, D.CMr. Karas and his work have been featured in books, magazines, DVD and video. He has received several awards for excellence in painting. More than 3,500 of Mr. Karas' paintings can be found in private and corporate collections around the world. Mr. Karas currently resides in Southwest Florida.