Michael Reardon


Michael Reardon has been painting in watercolor for over twenty-five years. He uses the medium to record his observations, convey a sense of place and light, and communicate his impressions of the built, natural, and imagined worlds.

In 2005 he was the recipient of the prestigious Gabriel Prize from the Western European Architecture Foundation, which enabled him to spend three months painting in Paris. Originally trained as an architect with a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, he was an architectural illustrator for over thirty years. His clientele spanned the globe. In 2004 he was awarded the Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize, the premier award in the field of architectural illustration. He is sought after as an instructor, leading workshops around the country and internationally that focus on the fundamentals of solid painting. His watercolors have been exhibited nationally and internationally. Recent exhibits include the annual shows of the American Watercolor Society and the California Art Club. In 2011 he presented a solo show at the Thomas Reynolds Gallery in San Francisco.

Michael is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, and the California Watercolor Association. In 2012 he received Best of Show at the Triton Museum of Art Statewide Exhibition of Watercolor. His watercolors have been featured in many magazines, including American Artist Watercolor, Artist’s Magazine, Southwest Art, Watercolor Artist, Plein Air, and L’Art de l’Aquarelle, an international magazine on watercolor. He is also the author of the forthcoming book from North Light Books, Color and Light: Painting Landscapes and Cityscapes in Watercolor (working title).