by Michael Creese
Bison Skull
Himalayan Cat
Horse
Hummingbird
Panda Reflections
Panda Stars
Starfish
Tancho Koi Fish
Artist: Michael Creese
Michael Creese was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his family at the age of seven. While in school, he developed a keen interest in art and drawing, and was greatly encouraged by his high school art teachers to pursue his passions. Michael’s interest in drawing quickly progressed to a fascination with painting.
After being accepted at several different universities, including the Pratt Institute of New York, Michael began his formal art training at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, where in 1981 he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Michael paints in the oil impasto style, a technique used in art where paint is laid thickly on canvas, leaving visible brush (or palette knife) strokes. When dry, impasto provides a great deal of texture to the finished painting. He also works with several other mediums in addition to oils, most notably watercolors.
Michael’s work has been sold in print form by major art distributors and retailers, featured in the work of interior designers, and sold as ceramic and marble tile murals. His original oil on canvas paintings are purchased by collectors throughout the United States, as well as internationally. He is currently a member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society.
Artist Statement
As an artist I find myself constantly aware of my surroundings. Each subject that catches my attention, from the smallest of flowers to the brightest of sunsets, gets recorded and eventually ends up on a canvas in my studio.
I feel very lucky to have a talent to share with others, and I feel deeply connected with nature through the process of painting.
Over the years I have tried my hand at many different art materials and many different subjects, but I have always found myself back at the easel with oils on the palette. Oil paints are a true delight to work with and they seem to express themselves effortlessly, as if on their own!
My particular style of painting is a culmination of my fine art training, my fondness for the Impressionist and Expressionist art movements, and my personal artistic vision. Color and composition are two key elements to my creative process, but the application of paint is perhaps the single most important factor in defining my style, from loose brush strokes and rich texture to an almost frenzied use of palette knife marks. The colors that I use are frequently blended directly on the painting, adding liveliness through visibly distinct transitions in color and shade. I have been told that one of the nicest features of my style, even though it is representational, is its abstract quality. This is one aspect of painting that I truly enjoy and one that I have worked hard to preserve. But apart from all the explanations of technique or style, I think that you will find as I have that art is mostly a mystery … so much more than the sum of its parts.
Website: http://michaelcreese.com/
Creative Thresholds 
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