About the Artist

Biography

Donald Cronkhite has been creating works of art ever since he was old enough to put pencil to paper. It has only been in the last ten years, however, that he has become passionate about oil painting and has been continuously narrowing and perfecting his subjects since then. Currently his focus is cloud formations just moments before a storm.

“I want my art to express emotion,”
he says.“While I observe all my skies directly from nature, I ‘enhance’ the reality to better convey these emotions to the observer.” Much like a photographer manipulates an image in the darkroom, Donald expands nature’s color palette, darkening the darks and highlighting the lights, and sometimes blending two or more images together, to produce an effect that is an intensified version of reality.

Inspired from childhood by 17th century Dutch painters, Rembrandt in particular, Donald has lately taken interest in the vibrant colors and brush strokes of early to mid 20th century modern art. “I like to use soft, fluid brush strokes in parts of my paintings, and loose, irregular brush strokes in other areas. Sometimes loose brushwork presents a greater illusion of realism than a work that’s completely polished.”

Donald earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He has exhibited his work in metro Detroit, New York, San Antonio and Chicago.

Education

1994

B.F.A. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Solo Exhibitions

2007
.

Gruen Galleries, Chicago, IL
A Series of Studies

Group Exhibitions

	2009 .	Gruen Galleries, Chicago, IL Group Exhibition: Gallery Artists
	2009 .	Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX Salon International: April 10 - May 1
	2007 .	Gruen Galleries, Chicago, IL Group Exhibition: Landscape
	2006 .	Montserrat Gallery, New York, NY Salon Exhibition: January - December
	2006 .	Heritage Park, Taylor, MI Regional Gallery Art Show
	2005 .	Gruen Galleries, Chicago, IL Group Exhibition: Landscape
	2004 .	Heritage Park, Taylor, MI Regional Art Show
	2003 .	Biddle Gallery, Wyandotte, MI Featured artist of November

Awards

1991
.

Half year scholarship
Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, MI

1991
.

Mary Ellen Heth Award for outstanding student work
Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, MI

1991
.

Two week European tour scholarship
Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, MI

Publications

2007
.

A Series of Studies, represented by the Gruen Galleries in the September - December issue of Chicago Gallery News

2006
.

Represented by the Montserrat Gallery in the
May issue of ARTnews

2003
.

Detroit Free Press, Nov. 26, 2003, pg. D 10
Featured artist of November at the Biddle Gallery