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 Michael Patrick Connelly
Painter
1206 Spear Drive
Normal, IL 61761
309-452-4630
“I seek to create a visual representation of the interrelationships of the natural world of plants and animals, not of separate parts, but as members of a unified living force,” is how Michael describes his work. Along with the obvious imagery, he also likes to incorporate a more complete experience involving wind, water, space, movement, time or even sound. The devices he uses in doing this include: irregular outside edges, circular composition, color harmony, luminosity, multiple edges, overlap, ray lines, swirl shapes, or transparency. Michael uses the images of nature as a jazz musician interprets a standard tune, working and reworking his images like a carefully made poem until the structure and meaning coincide.
Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1955, Michael attended Illinois State University for his Bachelors, Masters and Master of Fine Art degrees. As part of his M. F. A. program he studied in New York City, where he interned with artist Judy Pfaff, and was employed by artist Rodney Ripps as a studio assistant. While at ISU, he also served one year as a studio assistant to Nicholas Africano.
Michael’s work has been exhibited across the nation in various juried shows and group shows, the most notable being at the Drawing Center in Soho, New York City, and The Paper Press in Chicago. He has also presented four one person shows. In 1985, Michael was presented with an Artist’s Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts.
He and his wife of 21 years, who is an art historian at Illinois State University, have an 8-year old son. Michael’s other interests include gardening, trout fishing, and family history.
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