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Hi, I'm Mike
My name is Michael Hancock and I am a live painter and studio artist from Chicago, IL. I went to school at Illinois State University where I received my degree in fine arts with a studio focus in painting and drawing. During my time at ISU, I was also involved with a lot of social justice and community service organizations that provided me with a vast variety of experiences that have definitely helped shape the person I am today. Opening my eyes and heart to the world, I worked alongside people of all backgrounds hearing stories about people’s life journeys, and sharing my own along the way. Through this process of giving and receiving I was filled with a passion to do more.
After I graduated from college I moved to Bali, Indonesia for six months where I was involved with a work exchange with a non for profit organization called The New Earth Works, helping to teach after school art programs to children in a local village. That experience split me wide open and provided a space and time where I got to do a lot of introspection and reflection, connecting with myself, and the beautiful people of the island. The lessons I learned through the rituals and practices have changed my life forever. Connecting with myself and the earth, I took a lot of time during my stay there to expand on my artistic practice.
When I live paint, I aim to unify and bring together. I draw from all the different pieces that come together to create this beautiful multifaceted experience we call life. I love studying multicultural art styles from around the world and exploring their deeper meanings and messages that are embedded in each of them. I find it extremely fascinating by how our lives are constructed by experience, and how our emotional reactions to these experiences shape us. We are in a constant reactionary process that is unfolding moment by moment, and when I paint I work in a style that echoes this journey as we move through life. I lay down marks and shapes and respond to each previous mark as though I am having a conversation with the piece.
I choose to work with acrylic paints because they allow me to build up a lot of layers at a pace that is fluid and doesn’t force me to take long pauses where I start to overthink the next mark I want to make. Each layer is essential to the piece, each part helps to create the whole. Just as every drop of water helps to create the ocean. At times when I paint, I have a more specific idea or message I want to communicate, and other times I simply starting laying down paint with no plan or idea in mind, surrendering to the flow. I use my personal experience in life from travels around the world and conversations with people I have met along the way as inspiration and a catalyst for exploration in my work. With each piece I push myself to dig deeper, and reach higher. Grounding and elevating at the same time, and in the middle of that fluxing dance is where I find myself painting.
After I graduated from college I moved to Bali, Indonesia for six months where I was involved with a work exchange with a non for profit organization called The New Earth Works, helping to teach after school art programs to children in a local village. That experience split me wide open and provided a space and time where I got to do a lot of introspection and reflection, connecting with myself, and the beautiful people of the island. The lessons I learned through the rituals and practices have changed my life forever. Connecting with myself and the earth, I took a lot of time during my stay there to expand on my artistic practice.
When I live paint, I aim to unify and bring together. I draw from all the different pieces that come together to create this beautiful multifaceted experience we call life. I love studying multicultural art styles from around the world and exploring their deeper meanings and messages that are embedded in each of them. I find it extremely fascinating by how our lives are constructed by experience, and how our emotional reactions to these experiences shape us. We are in a constant reactionary process that is unfolding moment by moment, and when I paint I work in a style that echoes this journey as we move through life. I lay down marks and shapes and respond to each previous mark as though I am having a conversation with the piece.
I choose to work with acrylic paints because they allow me to build up a lot of layers at a pace that is fluid and doesn’t force me to take long pauses where I start to overthink the next mark I want to make. Each layer is essential to the piece, each part helps to create the whole. Just as every drop of water helps to create the ocean. At times when I paint, I have a more specific idea or message I want to communicate, and other times I simply starting laying down paint with no plan or idea in mind, surrendering to the flow. I use my personal experience in life from travels around the world and conversations with people I have met along the way as inspiration and a catalyst for exploration in my work. With each piece I push myself to dig deeper, and reach higher. Grounding and elevating at the same time, and in the middle of that fluxing dance is where I find myself painting.
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Live Painting
As a live painter, Michael gets to share his joy, talent, and influential messages to a live audience. Through these shared experiences, Michael connects, converses, learns from and meets people of all different backgrounds and cultures. The joy and passion Michael feels as a painter is enhanced when he live paints and contribute to something bigger.
Live painting events list
Phases of the Moon Festival 2014
Atyya Chicgao Abbey Pub 2014
Dixon's Violin Chicago 2014
Govinda Chicago Abbey Pub 2014
Govinda Indiana Blue Jay 2014
Kalya Scintilla Chicago 2014
Phutureprimitive Chicago Bottom Lounge 2014
Playthink Festival 2014
Random Rab Chicago Bottom Lounge 2014
Southern Illinois Flow Fest 2014
Wakarusa Festival 2014
Dixon's Violin Chicago 2015
Desert Dwellers Chicago Concord Hall 2015
Fillibusta Chicago Abbey Pub 2015
Gallery Show at Urban Escape Chicago 2015
Indiana Mini Flow Fest 2015
Papadosio Chicago Concord Hall 2015
Desert Dwellers Chicago 2015
Random Rab Chicago Bottom Lounge 2015
Revision Festival 2015
Road to Sonic Bloom Chicago 2015
Chicago Blue Dream 420 Event 2016
Dirtwire Chicago 2016
Hyperion Festival 2016
Kaminanda Chicago 2016
Kosmos Festival 2016
Living Light Chicago 2016
Lunar Tide Festival 2016
Papadosio Chicago 2016
Psychonautics Halloween Event 2016
Psychonautics vol.2 2016
Rootwire Festival 2016
Sonidos Collective, Sonic Creations Show 2016
UpNorth Festival 2016
Werkout Festival 2016
CloZee and Psymbionic Chicago 2017
Dirtwire Chicago 2017
Kaminanda Chicago 2017
Phutureprimitive/Govinda Chicago 2017
Desert Dwellers Chicago 2017
Papdosio Chicago 2017
Thriftworks Urbana 2017
Thriftworks Chicago 2017
Govinda Chicago 2017
Lunar Tide Chicago 2017
ColorDance Festival Ohio 2017
Summer Camp Chillicothe 2017
Taste of Lincoln festival Chicago 2017
Rootwire Ohio 2017
Konnexion festival Idaho 2017
Big What Festival North Carolina 2017
Werkout festival Ohio 2017
North Coast festival pop up gallery 2017
Manic Focus chicago 2017
Eoto chicago 2017
Laniakea festival Ohio 2017
Lincoln Park Zoo event Chicago 2017
Thriftworks Chicago 2017
Desert Dwellers Chicago 2017
OTT Chicago 2017
Aqueous Chicago 2017
Papadosio/Phutureprimitive fall tour 2017 (20 shows, West Coast)
Papadosio's Earth Night 2017
Dirtwire Chicago 2017
Winter Werkout festival Ohio 2017
Turkuaz Covington, KY 2017
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, NYE 2017
Papadosio/Aqueous Winter tour 2018 (NE)
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Wisconsin 2018
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Michigan 2018
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Ohio 2018
Random Rab/Edamame Chicago 2018
Random Rab/Edamame Madison WI 2018
Random Rab/Edamame Milwaukee WI 2018
Random Rab/Edamame Madison WI 2018
Full Moon Gathering March 2018 w/ Alex & Allyson Grey ate Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
Domefest May 2018
SummerCamp festival May 2018
Rootwire June 2018
Clozee 2 night run Chicago 2018
Russ Liquid Test Chicago 2018
Beanstalk fest Colorado 2018
Werkout fest Ohio 2018
Grassroots California gallery showcase @ Chicago location 2018
Grassroots California mural @ Chicago location 2018
Resonance fest Ohio Sept 2018
Manic Focus North Coast After party Sept 2018
Thriftworks w/ Breaking Biscuits North Coast After party Sept 2018
Clozee w/ IHP Concord Hall Chicago Sept 2018
Sacred Vibrations fest MI 2018
Clozee 2 night run Cincinnati OH 2018
Blockhead Cincinnati OH 2018
Perpetual Groove Cincinnati OH 2018
ILL Gates Cincinnati OH 2018
Mungion Cincinnati OH 2018
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Cincinnati OH 2018
Aqueous Cincinnati OH 2019
Brether Asheville NC 2019
Litz Asheville NC 2019
Yheti Asheville NC 2019
Desert Dwellers 2 night run Asheville NC 2019
Winter Werkout festival Thornville, OH 2019
Random Rab Asheville, NC 2019
Ayla Nereo Asheville, NC 2019
Papadosio Summer Sequence Asheville, NC 2019
Slug Wife Takeover Asheville, NC 2019
Jason Hann Atlanta, GA 2019
Summer Camp Music Festival Chillicoth, IL 2019
Werk Out Festival Thornville, OH 2019
Solasta Festival Deerfield, NC 2019
Living Light/Hundred Drums Asheville, NC 2019
Resonance Music & Arts festival Coopers Lake, PA 2019
Random Rab, Packs Park, Aheville, NC 2019
Suwanee Hulaween, Live Oak, FL 2019
