Charles Dwyer

When an artist is truly talented, you look at the training and academic background, you look at their collector lists. You study their style to see who may have influenced them. When you study art you start with drawing, you cannot proceed with any area of art until you master the skill of drawing, and any master living or deceased could draw. Charles Dwyer has mastered drawing and painting the female figure. Known For doing mixed media works on paper and canvas, layered with symbols, designs and abstract diversions, give his work more depth than any modern figure artist. His signature style is classical and will hold the test of time. It hangs with major art collections in private, public and corporate in the United States, Munich, Germany, to Barcelona, Spain.

Dwyer's involvement in conservation and restoration of historical landmarks and churches across the U.S. may be the source of the layering media and meanings that appears as a recurring theme in his art. It continuously exposes him to the techniques and intentions of long gone artists. As part of his work in conservation and restoration , Dwyer has recreated murals in various landmark buildings, restored decorative murals and stained glass designs, yet his true passion remains in his own work.

Fascinated by the complexities of both the human form and the human mind, Dwyer finds inspiration for his art in the simplicity of the face, and expands on that in his love for doing portraiture. Using mixed media to create images with both literal and figurative layers. Skilled in many areas of the creative process, drawing however remains closest to his heart. "Drawing is the foundation of everything, Dwyer avers. "It's kind of primal." Much of his inspiration comes from photographs he takes of people, both anonymous and familial. He finds that photography is a critical part of his artistic process. Also, it was during his studies in college he "fell in love" with the print making process of etching and stone lithography. Dwyer can now move into something he has longed to do the 3-diminsional form of the female figure in sculpture giving the expanse of his work full circle and in perfect timing for the peaking of his artistic journey.

Charles was born in West Bend, Wisconsin in 1961 and graduated Valedictorian from Milwaukee School of Art & Design in 1984.