Ann Arbor Artist Paints Portrait of Governor Snyder with Lead Paint [VIDEO]

“You get so intimate with a person’s face ... It’s like a map. It’s a strange conflict.”

Michael Dykehouse says that he doesn't like to call himself an "artist," because he doesn't sell enough of his portraits to make a living. He rents a room from his friend, who is a schoolteacher, and drives an Uber to make extra cash. However, his current work may sell for quite a bit more - it's a portrait of Governor Rick Snyder, illustrated in lead-based paint.

He actually uses a lead-based paint for a lot of his portraits, and he wears gloves while painting with it. However, because of the Flint water crisis, he put the two ideas together. The painting has been varnished, so it's safe to handle, but he still recommends wearing gloves.

His father Douglas was an artist as well. He taught art in Kalamazoo.