Michael Cromwell
About the Artist
ARTIST STATEMENT
Having moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, I have discovered a new awareness of Mother Nature. It's rewarding to explore new directions and absorb that which surrounds you in the great Hawaiian environment! I enjoy a deep appreciation and love of the natural world; wild life, flowers, leaves, rocks, forests, beaches, and, in general, the wilderness; having not been substantially altered by human intervention, or which persists despite human intervention.
The esteem I place toward a better human connection to the natural world manifests in my art. Since childhood, I've always been drawing, painting, and taking pictures. My life experiences as an artist guide my instincts and observations of subject matter, composition, textures, colors, and form. My resulting imagery is an ongoing exploration and experimentation of combined mediums and techniques using my camera as a gathering tool.
BIOGRAPHY
Michael Cromwell was educated at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan and The Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, Detroit, Michigan.
In 1975, Michael founded Cromwell Communications, a graphic design and visual communications firm. During the next 30+ years, Cromwell Communications created award-winning designs for several international corporations including: GM Design, Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation, Cadillac Motors, Kellogg's, and Kmart Corporation. Cromwell Communications also served several national and regional corporations including the Stroh Brewery Company, Little Caesar's, the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Red Wings, as well as the Detroit Medical Center.
From 1983 through 1999, Michael was a Design Instructor at The Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. He taught Advanced Graphic Design and Environmental Graphics.
In December 2005, Michael and his wife, Terry, retired from the visual communications business and moved to the Big Island of Hawaii. They currently reside in the District of North Kohala.
Since Spring 2007, Michael's intuitive skills as a designer and photographer have combined to create a diverse body of work which includes abstract compositions, photographic collages, still life compositions, and nature photography, as well as illustrative graphic images of textures and typography. By orchestrating a unique symphony of natural color, form, and texture, Michael reflects a contemporary view of his new island environment.