Meet the creator

Artist · US

Michael studied art during college with courses in photography, drawing, oil painting, 3D designs, advanced painting, art history, ceramics, and introductory architecture. However, he found his first profession in designing & developing computer systems, then in technology sales & marketing, and finally with mergers & acquisitions as a Chief Financial Officer of technology companies. He continued his photography work while travelling the world and captured images in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Europe, Greek Islands, and around the United States. Upon the sale of his most recent company in 2022, he started developing more artistic images of his favorite subjects including beaches, boats, islands, waterfalls, celebrities, marinas, cityscapes, interesting skies, entertaining structures, wildlife, and digital surrealism. He now uses his computer knowledge and digital tools to create interesting surrealistic and interpretive reality images to challenge the viewers' minds. Many of his images include the Artist hidden as the ViewFinder, sometimes disguised as a pirate, a reflection, or other characters. Michael currently limits his signed limited-edition image sales to 250 copies before retiring them. His target markets are professional office spaces, conference facilities, restaurants, hotels, galleries, institutions, interior decorators, and professional collectors. His artwork have been highlighted in publications such as USA Today, LA Weekly, and Reuters. Michael’s artwork was chosen in 2025 by the Governor for display in the Georgia State Capitol Building Gallery. Michael earned his MBA from George Mason University (GMU) and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He currently teaches part-time online business courses for Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and is a Board Member for several Art and Technology organizations. Please feel free to contact him via email Michael@ViewFinderArts.com View his artwork at www.ViewFinderArts.com or www.MichaelVanPatten.Art [caption id="attachment_12032" align="alignnone" width="150"] The Artist is know as the ViewFinder[/caption]