'I never lost interest': Brighton artist, illustrator has been painting since he was 10

BRIGHTON — Brighton resident Mike Monroe started painting when he was 10, and he never stopped.

“I never lost interest in nature and painting ... this is what I wanted to do,” Monroe, a lifelong local, told The Daily.

Monroe is a self-taught artist. Early in his career, he took classes at Eastern Michigan University, but quickly realized he didn’t need to be taught how to create art — he needed to learn how to sell and market his work. So, he started taking business courses instead.

In the days before e-commerce — and even today — the best way to sell art is to get in front of customers, so Monroe began traveling to shows and tourist areas around the country.

“I spent two years on the road, trying to figure out what to do. I used to paint and sell in Panama City, Florida, and it was really easy to make a living as an artist in a tourist area,” Monroe said.

“But when I came back to see my family — my brother was five when I left, and seven when I came back — he had grown up and I realized I had just missed two years of his life. I decided that I'm going to make it (in Brighton) one way or another.”

Monroe began focusing on art shows in the Midwest, often bringing his wife and children with him. His daughter, Natalie, still attends shows to sell her handmade jewelry.

Michigan nature has always been the central theme of Monroe’s work. While many artists work outdoors or use photographs, his paintings are a combination of memory and imagination.

That imagination has helped him illustrate 30 children’s books including “M is for Mitten," “Millie and the Moon,” and “A Walk Through the Winter Woods.”

Some of his books have been collaborations with his wife Colleen, like the popular “A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree.”

“She's really the talent behind the writing," Monroe said. "I’m more throwing in ideas and thoughts."

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Right now, he's focused on building up his clientele.

“I’m trying to spend less time on the road, more time painting and more time trying to build up my online following,” Monroe said. “This is all a foreign language for somebody like me. By the time I got out of college, nobody had ever even heard of a computer.”

Still, online sales mean more time at home and less physical strain from travel. Monroe has also found that having his work online introduces it to people around the world.

“I did a Kickstarter a couple of years ago for one of my books ... and I sold pieces to people in Belgium, Australia, England — people that I’ve never met but they were able to find it online,” he said.

Schedule an appointment to visit Monroe's studio in downtown Brighton by emailing mikemonroestudio@yahoo.com or browse online at michaelglennmonroe.com.

— Contact reporter Tess Ware attware@livingstondaily.com.