Welcome!

If you don't know me, then - Hi! Thank you for discovering me here amongst my work. And thank you in advance for your support in all and every way.

If you do know me and my work, then thank you for finding me here. :)

Want the big picture overview of me and my work?

Check out my website here: The Artwork of Michael Divine
It's filled with paintings, drawings, writing, and more.
(You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook).

My wife, Violet, and I - the team of TenThousandVisions - created this page to focus on my paintings and projects as well as share some of the other awesome things we do together.

How about some Q & A:

Who am I?

First and foremost, I’m a painter. I create images on canvases and in murals that I hope inspire the people who experience them. I also draw in pen and ink and sometimes dabble in other mediums. I love doing it and have been at it for well over 20 years (which still surprises me to say) and I plan to be doing it for many, many more (hopefully!).

When I was 20, I decided to leave a stifling college experience; I grabbed my backpack and wandered off into the mountains to pursue this budding creative passion. In that time, I found my voice, cultivated my vision, and honed my craft. I've made hundreds of paintings and drawings and filled an absurd amount of sketchbooks.

Currently, Violet and I live in Northern California with our four cats, various other critters, awesome permaculture gardens, an ever expanding library, and our wonderful studio and workshop spaces. It's not an end, just another stop along the journey with bigger paintings and bigger dreams and visions.

Why do I do it?

To put it most simply, I love to paint. Many years back, my internal voice said, "You could do this for the rest of your life if you want." So I got on that train and never looked back. I've been reasonably successful, all things considered. But I never hooked up with some gallery and I didn't get a prestigious degree from a university so I didn't find myself in those circles of contemporary art that really help create great support systems for artists. But in the end, I make art for PEOPLE - for you, for me, for everyone - not just the entrenched gallery owners or pedigreed art critics.

Since I began, there's been a positive feedback loop all my life from the thousands of people who've seen my work, bought originals or prints or books, or even just written me a kind message or left an inspired comment on an image. People tell me that they love it. They relate to it. That feedback has inspired me to keep at it more than anything else. The value it brings to the world goes far beyond the reaches of my own studio.

How much do you paint anyways?

The short answer: everyday.
I wake up, make tea, feed the (now) four cats (sadly, we just said goodbye to our sweet old boy, Fi), and then head to my studio for the morning's creative endeavors. I might spend three hours on five square inches. Or I might be doing big washes of color. But I'm always moving forwards with the art. Later in the afternoon or sometimes at night I also spend some time working. I average about 3 or 4 big paintings a year with lots of smaller pieces along the way. The daily routine, the dedicated practice, these are what make great paintings and I've had the privilege to be able to follow this path and put my time into this dream.

Of course, in between, there's lots of life stuff. I work in our garden. I work on our house. We do errands or go for a hike. You know: life stuff. Add to that the day-to-day running of a business, marketing, etc, and you get the picture: that there's a lot of pieces to attend to. In between it all, I'm always trying to squeeze in more creative time: a bit more time to paint, a bit more time to write, a bit more time to create.

So why Patreon?

(Don't know much about Patreon? Watch this video they made on Youtube or check out their their FAQ.)

Patreon is a platform that allows me to reach out directly to you without a middleman or a gatekeeper, and for my fans and followers to reach back. It allows you to be a patron of my work at any level. Whether you sign up to kick down just a buck or two to show thanks for that downloaded image you use for your phone wallpaper, or you are a true believer in what we're doing and pledge much more to make sure this boat stays afloat, it all adds up toward helping to bring this art to the world.

For better or for worse, most of my time is spent painting (where my expertise is) rather than on marketing and promoting and licensing and selling. While I think most people appreciate my sort of low key approach and the fact that the new work just keeps coming, it doesn't always help in keeping the lights on or food on the table. I created this Patreon to better support these creative endeavors and keep bringing you these images you've told me inspire and enrich your world.

There was a day and age when artists would find a benefactor (think the Medicis in Italy) or a church or museum might commission a new collection of work. But we don't live in that world so much anymore and our weird world and its weird value systems and circle jerk of contemporary art leaves artists like me - those without big gallery representation and a prestigious degree - on our own to bring it to the world.

But art isn't made in a vacuum and artists need stable support in order to continue creating for the world.

So, here we are!

The magic of the web with a service like Patreon that now facilitates micro-payments allows YOU to be a patron of the arts - that YOU can be one of ten or a hundred or a thousand people all working together to support an artist whose work you believe the world needs. That YOU can be supporting with a dollar or a thousand dollars and I'm grateful for each one of you because we are all in this together.

The patron - or in this case, the community of patrons - supports the creation of art they love because it's what they want to see in the world. They feel that what the artist brings into the world is valuable not just on an economic level, but in a real cultural sense. It's what they feel the world needs more of. The patron is a part of the artistic dialogue and they're helping to bring that creation into the world because it benefits everyone.

See, the last thing I want to do is to put my art behind a paywall. It will always be there on my site, on social media accounts, and elsewhere. Instead, my goal is to work with you to create a sustainable support network so that I can keep bringing these paintings into the world to inspire and enrich the lives they reach.

So what do I share here?

There'll still be lots of special stuff just for you and it will evolve continuously as we continue to build this community and see what is possible.

Obviously, there'll be art. I'll keep you updated regularly on the process of my paintings - including whatever my current large piece is. You'll get to see newly released work as well as weekly drawings and other creative projects. There'll also be process videos, live feeds, live Q&As and more. You'll get to see stuff before anyone else and far more of it, as well as take part in the conversation with me.

On top of that, I write a lot. I blog all the time. I write about art creation, the business of art, other artists that I find inspiring, cultural creativity and engagement, and more.

For you fellow artists, I offer monthly online meet ups to discuss art in a group setting as well as one-on-one engagement with YOU and your work and process. Also, you'll find special Artist's Only posts that will only be available here. We'll talk about how I go about making a painting and I'll provide insights into my techniques and process. You can even write to me and suggest a topic that you'd benefit from or think others will find interesting.

Basically, what you're going to get is an eye into my studio (and over my shoulder) because we're doing this together. Drop in once a week or once a month and I'll be here crafting this vision. Your continued support is going to make it possible for that vision to grow beyond what I personally can create.

But WAIT. There's more! Of course, there's more. There has to be more!

We'll send goodie bags to lucky winners of random monthly drawings. There will be discount codes for Patreon supporters only (and we'll be phasing out the newsletter/facebook discount codes). We'll send quarterly art gifts to supporters. Take a look at the different support levels for the whole story.

And the uber top tiers get a look into the secret projects we work on under completely different names. You get to meet our sometimes-absurd, sometimes-bizarre alter egos!

It's truly wonderful that we've made it all this way - and that you're still here reading! If you aren't a member, I invite you to join us in working towards creating a more beautiful world. And if you ARE a patron already, then THANK YOU.

To each one of you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart - not just for supporting my work but for BELIEVING in it.

Onwards and upwards!

In gratitude,
Michael

P.S. Art doesn't begin or end with any one artists. We also promise that we will continually give back to our community, support the goals and dreams of other artists, and keep you updated on where we spread that support around.

P.P.S. Thank you again! I look forward to seeing what we can create together. :)

P.P.P.S. Further questions? Send me an email michael@tenthousandvisions.com

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