Michael Burpoe

Born and raised in Saranac Lake, Michael Burpoe is a watercolor artist who enjoys creating plein air & Adirondack lifestyle paintings. He signs his work with his middle name, Czerny, as a nod to the original spelling of his maternal grandfather’s name that was changed when he immigrated to this country from Poland.

Michael studied Graphic Design at the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2017.

Michael began watercolor painting in earnest in 2020 as a form of escapism from the stress and loneliness of living alone during the pandemic. He found the welcome distraction of painting was a wonderful way to shut off his brain, and continued the practice even after quarantine had ended. He now brings his watercolors with him as he travels, from the misty canals of Amsterdam, to the crowded cityscapes of Buenos Aires, and the idyllic wandering roads of Kyoto. However, his favorite things to paint are the people that make the culture of the Adirondacks.

In January of 2025, Michael joined the Saranac Lake based Adirondack Artists Guild, where he maintains an installation of his work.