"A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE"
"It is my pleasure to recommend Mike McVaugh as an artist. Moreover, I can
confidently recommend Mike McVaugh for any undertaking. For you see, I have not
only had the privilege of being painted by Mike but we have a longstanding friendship
of approximately 20 years as well. In that time, I have seen Mike evolve as an artist as
well as a person and have come to recognize and respect the commitment to excellence
and intensity which he brings to both art and life.
It is my intention to keep this essay brief and concise, and in so doing report what I
know to be factual as well, in light of our 20 year friendship, to offer a couple of
opinions which I believe to be fact.
If art is in fact 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration I'm quite convinced that Mike
has fulfilled both quotas. Mike's inspiration was easy to recognize 20 years ago as he
effortlessly and joyfully exhibited God given talent to observe and reproduce. Free
time on a prep-school campus is minimal and as a result, in an effort to devote the kind
of time to his art which Mike was apparently compelled to do at that time, late long
hours were required. It was obviously necessary to keep up with his school work and
extra curricular commitments which I recall as being a priority to Mike at that
time, and one which he was able to fulfill. Mike was however compelled to draw and
paint and to improve his natural abilities. As a result, while those of us who were less
inspired slept, Mike painted.
I have seen his painting evolve from a technically strong, photo-realistic quality
in the early and middle years of our relationship to his current ability to capture much
more than just physical characteristics. More specifically, by this I mean that Mike
is able to identify the less tangible qualities of his subject's character or psyche and to
somehow translate this into color and form.
Mike's development as a person has been no less obvious to me than his development
as an artist and there is no question that the evolution of the former has contributed to
the latter and visa-versa. I mentioned earlier that I could confidently recommend Mike
for any undertaking and this is based on what I have come to know of his character and
his psyche.
Over the course of 20 years, I've seen Mike tackle a number of challenges, as well as
overcome problems and setbacks. I again attest to Mike's commitment to excellence
and his will to overcome and achieve. I'm proud to recommend Mike for all that he
may aspire to achieve."
Very truly yours,
Sigurd N. Hersloff, III