If you were to ask Michael O to describe himself, the first thing he would say is, “I am an artist.” With the many possibilities of what those words can potentially mean, to him it is a definition that belongs to anyone who sees beauty and inspiration in the world around them.  “I consider my work to be the visual reflection of my own emotions; whether light or dark, happy or sad, it is my intention to express myself while visually speaking a language that everyone can understand.”

 Typically, digital art is seen more as illustration rather than art but Michael believes his work transcends this definition by including concepts that invoke emotions rather than actions. “My work is not meant to be used for consumer needs like advertising but rather to portray and derive human emotions that affect the viewer in a positive way.” 

 Having a foundation in photography, Michael defines his work as, “photo-manipulation, or, an enhancement to reality, ”staying as true to the original photograph as possible while enhancing the image though digital techniques into something not possible in the real world.”  He goes on to describe the most fulfilling part of his work to be the interaction between himself and the model.  “Unlike typical modeling, I always try to find the inner beauty of every model - something personal and positive that I can highlight in my work. This puts a sense of reality behind the work and allows it to be more than just a pretty picture.”

 Despite the joy that Michael gains from creating artwork, he is aware that some others share the same affection for his art.  Knowing this, Michael says that, “Inspiring others has become my biggest goal. I know how joyful art can be. It is only natural that I would want to share that with as many people as possible.”n view Michael’s work on the cover of Advanced Photoshop magazine (issue 65) and in mid 201