When an artist works, he is cocooned inside a mythical world, captured and held fast by the muse that stokes his artistic fire. Life beyond the canvas fades away like shadows at high noon, and the artist is ensnared inside his creation. Until he paints the last stroke and lays his palette down, no intrusion from the outside is allowed entry; he is alone in a private world bounded by his thoughts. When the finished work is presented to the public, it is an invitation to enter that artist's world and share in the vision that created it. 
Seahorse Key Lighthouse
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Contemporary Folk Artist Mike Segal's world is one filled with brilliant color, intrepid images, and memories of times and places. From the teachings of the Torah, to the lapping waters of the Gulf, all the things that have touched his life appear upon his canvases. At first glance the images he creates seem simplistic, almost overshadowed by the jewel toned colors he uses, but closer examination reveals intricate details. Each painting is a vignette of everyday life. There is humor and history behind the images, and always a sense of elation. 
Old Cedar Key Fire House
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Mike's muse has kept him enthralled for thirty-five years, and he can not imagine a life without art at it's center. Schooled in landscape architecture, with no formal art training, his approach to painting is based on ideas not style. He often sketches out an image in several mediums (such as markers, pencil and crayon) before he ever touches a brush to canvas. Each rough sketch is an orchestrated step towards the finished image. 
The Pier at Cedar Key
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Born in Miami Beach in the late forties, Mike's life is reminiscent of the early folk artists of that era, who traveled the highways and bi-ways of the State selling their work from the trunks of their cars. Each year Mike and his wife Marvi pack up and head out on the road to display his work at Art Shows and Folk Festivals. Marvi has always supported Mike in his aspirations, and he says that he could never have accomplished what he has without her. Not only does she travel to each show with him, but she also manages the print making and business requirements necessary to the success of a modern artist. 
Joseph Distributing the Grain
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When asked what it means to be a successful artist Mike said "Art picks you, you don't pick art; it has to be a lifetime commitment. Being a successful artist in America means you can continue to create your work". 
Dock Street
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Mike's work is shown in Cedar Key exclusively at the Island Arts Cooperative on "C" Street. It can also be viewed on-line at: www.mikesegalart.com and www.hoohadada.com. | 