Colored Pencil Artist
"Falling Water VII"
Professional artist Erwin P. Lewandowski maintains a studio/residence along the shoreline of Lake Huron in Northern Michigan. He is a graduate of the Fine Arts Department at Central Michigan University and received additional training at Eastern Michigan University. His second career as a professional artist began in 2004 following 25 years of business development, management and co-ownership.
As an artist he's managed to find a comfortable blend of artistic skill, styles of work, subjects of interest, medium preferences, and a business plan that includes many of the accounting and marketing issues associated with a fine arts career. Stepping back into the art world after a long absence was a challenging and humbling experience for him. Learning to adjust to a new way of marketing art involved hours upon hours of research.
One of his first major decisions was to start working with a new medium [premium-colored pencils] instead of continuing exclusive use of pigment ink liners and graphite pencils. A second equally important change occurred with his interest in creating artwork in three styles: Contemporary Realism and Hyperrealism and the Abstract in Realism. Using waterscape and landscape themes, he is able to create stunning images that focus on particular elements, structures, movements, and shapes in nature. Artistic license is a big part of his planning and often involves taking two or more settings and combining them to create a scene that is unique in style, meticulously rendered in detail, and visually appealing in form, content, and composition. In recent years a third area of concentration, the abstract in realism, has slowly begun to establish a footprint within his portfolio. This new area of interest has roots in realistic settings and scenery, but the final compositions adhere to characteristics and qualities long associated with the abstract movement.
He is an award-winning artist that includes two very special International Guild of Realism BEST in DRAWING awards. He has achieved Signature Status and/or Master's Status with drawing organizations in Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and United States. His artwork continues to be featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, galleries, in art publications and on social media and television. Each year he takes time to write several articles about his artwork and host drawing workshops. A complete picture of his bio, awards, artwork, gallery agents, and current events can be found online at: www.erwinplewandowski.com