Mike Kleimo

Mike, who has reached his distinguished late 60’s, lives and paints in both Seattle, Washington and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Kleimo came to his painting career by a circuitous path. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in advertising art and design from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and worked in a cabinet shop and as a carpenter. After which Kleimo laboured as a deckhand in Alaskan waters on crab and salmon net boats and fished for herring in northern California. In Alaska he was also a welder on oil rigs in the Cook Inlet and a teamster on the Alyeska pipeline project. Next, Kleimo was a labour foreman, operating engineer and drilling superintendent for high rise foundations and bridges in the Puget Sound area. In Seattle and San Francisco, Mike worked as a graphic designer, technical illustrator, art director, and owned an advertising agency. This diverse background can be seen in the varied subjects and locations featured in Kleimo’s watercolours. Although Mexico in general and San Miguel de Allende in particular have become major focuses during these last years, images from Paris, California, Alaska and Washington State are still produced by this capable artist and the subjects range from people and beasts to villages and ruins of colonial churches.

The artist also seems to have two different styles of painting, one being a representational approach that combines a feeling of impressionism with the hint of an architectural rendering. A good example of this is ‘Guanajuato Campo Church’ a colourful country scene with an old church as the main focus. Mike’s other main style of painting could be considered work that comes closer to magical realism. For instance, his painting entitled ‘El Bailar Con Catrina’ portrays a man dancing with a lady skeleton wearing high heeled shoes and a dress.

Casa Panorámica has a variety of Kleimo’s paintings distributed throughout.