Michael Upton’s ethos for each and every one of his designs is to create an environment that sparks pure joy and creativity. After being in the creative field for quite some time, Michael began to strive to make art that was more affordable to reach a greater audience. His art, available through his design studio Upton, is inspired by his daily life, from music to architecture. Michael’s pieces can be found all over America and Canada including prestigious stores such as, EQ3 and Herman Miller. Introducing this week’s Maker Monday, Michael Upton.
Delicately hanging on this wall is the Litha hand-painted by Michael Upton. The painting features bright and welcoming colors like peach and green, to endow one with a positive energy upon first glance.
Andrew Joseph: If you could live in any home in a movie or television series, what would it be?
Michael Upton: One of my earliest memories is wishing I could live in the California ranch house from the 1961 version of The Parent Trap. Now, I think of it as kind of a strange longing for a child. The house is absolutely stunning – a sprawling Spanish-style farmhouse in the Carmel Valley – but it’s not really a kid’s typical dream house, like the Swiss Family treehouse or Richie Rich’s mansion. It was one of the first inklings of my love of design. Even as an adult I still love the house. If I wasn’t an artist, I would probably be an architect.
Andrew: What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
Michael: My ultimate dream is to design a large public sculpture garden. I think the traditional way of showing art – white walls, enclosed space, quiet atmosphere – tends to be stuffy and honestly a little boring. I’d love to display art in a way that feels totally accessible and curates the entire user experience: the art, the surrounding architecture, the sounds, landscaping, and even a café or dining element to go along with it. It’s one of my long-term goals with Upton.
This piece is an original print called Amberson which comes in a toffee tone. It has been created on a 100% cotton canvas and also has eyelet holes for easy hanging.
Andrew: What’s something you always travel with?
Michael: I always have a little bottle of sumi ink and a brush in my bag when traveling. It’s my favorite medium for sketching and creating loose drawings – all my designs originally start out as a sumi ink sketch. I love the consistency of the ink, which allows you to have control but is also runny enough to give you some pleasant surprises.
Andrew: If you had one more hour in the day, what would you do with it?
Michael: Work on remote viewing. I once went to a lecture featuring Russel Targ, who co-founded the Stanford Research Institute’s investigation into psychic abilities in the 70s. My wife was the one who wanted to attend, and I had no idea what I was getting into, but one of the things Targ had us do was draw and describe what he had concealed in a briefcase he brought onstage with him. He had us meditate for a few minutes, then led us through a series of questions (how big is the object?… how does it feel in your hand?…) as we psychically pictured the object and drew it on a piece of paper. It turned out to be an empanada strainer, which I had drawn and described pretty well without ever having seen one in my life. I’d like to take the time to develop the skill one day.
The Hemera – Persimmon is hand painted on a 48×36 cotton canvas and hangs directly above this gray couch. The two shapes perfectly compliment each other and add a bold element to the space.
Andrew: What might the design world look like in 10 years?
Michael: I’d love to see the new technologies that are being developed used in such a way that allows designers to offer more options and customizations. For example, imagine if you could 3d print a custom object for each person, based on their individual wants and needs. It could open up so many alternatives to simply just offering a pre-made, off-the-shelf object.
Andrew: What is the last book you read?
Michael: It was a book I very much enjoyed, titled The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Best Drinks. We usually think of alcohol as being distilled from the usual suspects (grains, potatoes, agave) but the author goes into the incredible array of fruits, flowers, herbs, trees, and fungi that humans have managed to turn into alcohol and flavor it with over the centuries. It made me want to go distill my own liquor out of loquat seeds or something random. It reminded me to keep my eyes open to possibility – just because something isn’t typically done doesn’t mean it can’t be.
The Abra in sand is a subtle and timeless piece that would go well in any space. All of Michael Upton’s pieces have the option of coming with a natural wooden bar to add an extra emphasis on the artwork.
Andrew: Are you a good cook? If so, what’s your specialty?
Michael: When I’m not in the studio you can usually find me cooking. I love to cook anything from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, but my specialty is probably bread. My go-to is naan. I love how creative you can be with it, without using a recipe. You can mix seeds into it, throw garlic on top, sprinkle herbs or spice mixtures on, and it always comes out delicious.
About The Maker | Upton is a Southern California based design studio that creates high-quality artwork and goods for the home. Established by artist and designer Michael Upton, Upton is founded on the belief that everyone should have the means to live with beauty every day.
Producing work that lies somewhere in the realm of fine art and home décor, Upton’s pieces are affordable and approachable without sacrificing on quality.
Andrew Joseph is a regular contributing editor for ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine. See more of his work here.
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