PAt CHEAL

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I am a lifelong Michigan resident and lover of the outdoors. Doodling as a kid led to more intentional sketching by high school, and that lit the fuse that propelled me to pursue a life as an artist.

College studies took me to the University of Michigan and CCS in Detroit, and shortly after I began a career in commercial art.  My time at a small suburban art studio became the biggest influence on my work as I learned from established illustrators how to create photorealistic art for the automotive market. I learned the craft of airbrushing, the tricks of inking on vellum, and typography and design. All this work was done using traditional methods—taking place before the days of digital everything.

Eventually I took a leap of faith and took out a loan for a Mac computer and Photoshop. I taught myself how to use it all well, and struck out on my own as a freelance artist and designer. For many years I scratched out a living until a great opportunity came along with a full-time position as a staff Illustrator in Ohio. Even though all of my work there is created digitally, I strive to infuse my art with warmth and the imperfect lines and textures that are the hallmarks of traditionally-created works of art.

In recent years, as I’ve travelled the beautiful southwest and through so many breathtaking national parks, I’ve been inspired to push into new ways of expressing myself. I’ve found a passion for creating art in old ways that feel new again.  My oils are the fine art counterpoint to my commercial artist’s life. I’m thrilled to have found a way to express myself visually using the same methods and materials that master painters did so long ago. Pigment on canvas - instead of pixels on a screen! What a change for me.

My paintings reflect more of what I feel when I look out on a beautiful scene, and are much less about capturing every detail. I see color and rhythm everywhere, and my aim with each piece is to find a balance that catches the eye of my viewer and stops them in their tracks - in the same way it did me. I think art done well makes the eye pause and wander.  My work and personal style is evolving with every painting, and I’m so grateful to be able to create and share unique work. The two sides of my life as an artist could not be more different, and as one career fades and the new artist in me is revealed, I’m finding a brand new energy. I hope you see that in my work!

— Pat Cheal