Artists Statement/Bio

Michael Ireland has taken the medium of watercolor and redefined the perception of its delicate nature by creating bold, sweeping statements of color, vision and presentation.
It is only fitting that the broad vistas he paints are realized in work that goes beyond the scale and size of traditional watercolor. While the work is traditional in nature, his proprietary process allows his artwork to be installed unglazed with many of the pieces exceeding twenty feet in length or more. His work is in collections of major corporations, hospitals and private collections throughout the country.

“I am unabashed in my love for the plains that define this area of the country. Most recently, my muse has been the prairie and the prairie grass itself. I believe the prairie is a metaphor for all of us that share this planet. Individual blades of grass bending and shaping as one while the winds rake across the landscape. The prairie gives us shelter, it sows its seeds and delineates our borders. It reaches up to the sun and bows under the heavy snows. It returns year after year on its own terms.”

A partial list of clients include:
Waukesha Memorial Hospital/Waukesha, WI
MH Executive Medical Center/Houston, TX
FMC Corporation/Oakbrook, IL
Mayo Clinic/ Jacksonville, FL
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago/ Chicago, IL
Northwestern Memorial Hospital/ Grayslake, IL
Elmhurst Memorial Hospital/ Elmhurst, IL
Katz Women’s Hospital at Long Island Jewish Medical Center/ New Hyde Park, NY
Robert W. Baird & Co./ Charleston, SC
National Intrepid Center of Excellence / Bethesda, MD
Lutheran General Advocate/Park Ridge, IL