From childhood doodles to abstract artworks, Michael Harris’ love for art runs deep

He has been painting south Louisiana landscapes for 30 years, but Michael Harris’ gravitation toward art started at a young age.

“When I was a kid, I’d always sketch and draw on napkins or paper towels at McDonald’s or just anything I could grab, even on the wall at my grandmother’s house,” Harris says.

While a lot of his current art drifts more toward the abstract, his signature style depicts settings reminiscent of Louisiana.

“I used to ride down River Road a lot because I enjoyed fishing and open lands,” Harris says. “Every now and then (I’d) see an old church or pond, and I’d paint from that.”

While the acrylic paintings of landscapes make up much of his work, he has also become known for the faceless characters on many of his canvases. The anonymity encourages viewers to find themselves in the art, he says.

“If you see it, you could be it,” Harris says. “It doesn’t have a special person—eyes, nose, ears and mouth—so you could be in that space.”

This article was originally published in the November 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.