"I am a master fine artist and I have yet to paint my masterpiece." · Las Vegas, NV
Michael
Mahue Moore
Original Fine Art Catalog
Available Artwork
“Michael Mahue Moore creates with the precision of a perfectionist and the confidence of a man who has spent five decades proving that boldness matters. A US Navy veteran, published novelist, former professional athlete, and master fine artist based in Las Vegas, Moore's work commands attention without asking for it. His paintings reflect a lifetime of discipline across multiple creative fields — meticulous in technique, unapologetic in presence, and driven by a singular creative mandate: to intrigue, entertain, and capture the viewer's eye. Moore approaches every canvas with the knowledge that his masterpiece is still ahead of him — and the determination to keep painting until he finds it.”
— Michael Mahue Moore
The Process
Inside the Studio
THE PAINTING PROCESS
Michael Mahue Moore's approach to painting is shaped by decades of discipline across multiple creative fields — and by a perfectionist's refusal to settle for approximation. His process begins not with the brush, but with observation. Whether working from life, memory, or imagination, Moore insists on understanding the internal mechanics of his subject before attempting to render it. This is the mindset of a man who spent 44 years in the computer industry and eight years in the Navy: nothing is decorative until it first makes structural sense. "Draw big and bold. Don't be those little puny faces. I want to see your work!" That directive — delivered by his high school art teacher Ms. Billie Phillips at the Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis — remains the emotional engine of Moore's studio practice. His paintings command space. They refuse to whisper. Whether working on canvas or wall-scale murals, Moore approaches composition with the confidence of an artist who learned his craft by copying Marvel Comics heroes at age six and later taught more than 70 students in his Birmingham studio. The work is meticulous, but never timid. Moore's technical process reflects his dual background in fine art and illustration. He builds form through careful value structures, blocking in major shapes before refining detail. Color choices are deliberate, often testing relationships on preliminary studies before committing to the final surface. His mural work — large-scale public commissions requiring precision, endurance, and the ability to project an image across architectural space — has honed his capacity to balance immediacy with control. A Moore painting doesn't announce itself as labored, but the hours are embedded in the surface. "Everything from my art to writing and cooking is done with the objective of intriguing, entertaining and capturing the attention of the viewer or listener." The studio itself operates on routines refined over five decades. Moore paints with the consistency of someone who has held professional commitments across multiple careers — athlete, sailor, electronics officer, novelist, teacher. He doesn't wait for inspiration; he generates momentum. Canvases are prepped in advance. Tools are organized. Sessions begin with a plan and end with documentation of what worked, what didn't, and what the next session will address. This is the work ethic of a man who served eight years in the military, survived two years as a boxing champion on a remote island, and published six novels while maintaining a full-time career. The masterpiece he's chasing isn't a fantasy — it's a project plan, and he's methodically working through the steps.