A look at the Works of Mike Ryczek

written by Houke de Kwant on July 2, 2016

Time to highlight the next artist in our Portfolio series. Everyone can be featured in this series, simply submit your portfolio and wait for us to review it. Today, I share with you some works of Mike Ryczek, an oil painter from Metrowest Boston.

Mike: My style typically straddles the line between realism and abstraction and I gravitate toward minimal, dramatic images with a limited palette and dark undertones, although I’ve recently been experimenting with more color.

I’ve always been fascinated with the way we as humans work, the underlying meanings behind our actions and the darker sides of our nature, and I think a lot of this finds its way into the work. I graduated from Montserrat College of Art in 2006 w/ a BFA in Illustration but decided that I wanted to make work that was more painterly and personal soon after.

Although I hope to explore more mediums in the future, I almost always paint with oil and occasionally draw with oil pencil. I use all different kinds of brushes, Scotch tape for edges and squeegees to manipulate the surface.