Artist's Biography - Derek McCrea

Biography of Derek McCrea
Derek McCrea is a US Army Infantry Combat Soldier with two tours in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division, and this is his stress relief. He has always loved to paint; it allows him to express emotions on paper and relax. Derek paints in a whimsical impressionistic style in plein air settings. He was born in Albany, Georgia on February 19, 1969. He presently resides with his wife, Sheila, of 22 years and his two sons. He first started painting with oils in the summer of 1984. From 1985 to 1986 he painted under the instruction of Jimmy Peterson, a well known artist from Georgia. In 1986 he won 1st place in the Georgia Arts Exhibition. Derek joined the United States Army in 1987 and continued self study and painting on landscape subjects in France, Holland, Germany, Italy and Hungary, painting in the plein air style. He has completed over 20 commissions in the past year. His works were most recently placed in the Shoppes on Madison in historic Douglas GA, and at Artsy's on the River Street in historic Savannah Georgia. Derek has donated several artworks to non-profit and charitable organizations in the past: February 2007 to Christian Mission Hospital for HIV children run by Joyce Meyer Ministries in India, silent auction for a baby with PWS syndrome October 25, 2008, and the Annual Benefit on OCT 17, 2008 with Rescue Ink out of NYC. My website is at http://www.derekmccrea.50megs.com My blog is at http://watercolorpaintingart.blogspot.com/

Derek is a member of the following societies:

Columbus Artists Guild
Southern Rivers Guild, GA
North Carolina Watercolor Society
Fayetteville Arts Council
Plein Air Florida - Space Coast Plein Air Painters
Plein Air Georgia

Derek's works were published in the following:

Decor Magazine - May 2009
63 Channels - Spring 2009 - Cover Art
The North Shoreian - Volume 2 - Issue 2, March 2009
The Delinquent - Issue 8 - 2009
Media Cake Magazine - Winter 2009
Heartland Review - Winter 2009
Read This Magazine (UK issue 15) 2009
Quercus Review - Issue 9, 2009
Birmingham Alabama Arts Journal 2009
Monongahela Review 2009 - Issue 3
Distillery magazine, Motlow State College, Tennessee JAN 09 and JULY 09
The Big Book of Contemporary Illustration, Anova Books, Chapter 2, 2009
C2F Art Pads Cover Art - 2008-2009
Cerulean Rain Issue #3, 2008
Eccentric Pets Magazine, 2nd issue, OCT 2008
Pens on Fire, OCT 08
Lorelei “Twenty-Two” Short Story Illustrations by Sarah Ashwood Oct 2008
Art Space, Issue 1, July 2008, Cover Art and Featured Artist
Seminole Florida Womens News, July 2008
Art World Project Charity Conglomerate, Europe, 2008
Watercolour Gazette, Issue 16, Nov/Dec 2007, Magazine Published in Canada
ATC Quarterly, Issue 8, Winter 2007, Art Trading Cards Magazine Published in Canada
Watercolour Gazette, Sept/Oct 2007, Issue 15, Magazine Published in Canada
The Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, October 2007, Volume 3, Issue 2
The Artists Bluebook, 2005, AskART.com Inc. - Dunbier, Lonnie Pierson (Editor, 479 pages)
The Eclipse, Poetry about Art, USA, 2002
LIA, Life is Art Magazine, USA, Aug 02
Lighthouse Magazine, United Kingdom (June 04)
Skyline Magazine (May 04)
Shadow Poetry Quill (March 04)
New Works Review 3 issues (March 04, July 07, and Oct 07)
Ken Again Literary Magazine 4 issues (May 2002, Winter 2003, Fall 2005, and Fall 2007)
Painted Poetry - Poetry about Art (2002)
Voices (Spring 2002)
Perpetual Magazine, Featured Artist, March 2008
Earth Stories, Pachamama Press, Volume 3, Issue 2 (Summer 2004)
Contributing author, TOC in Combat, Infantry Magazine, 2003
Contributing author, Prepare a Mechanized Infantry Task Force for Combat, Infantry Magazine, 2004
Decorating a Room Around a Piece of Art - (Article) by Rhonda Morin, The Decorating Bible

Derek has won the following awards - recognition

Commissioned to paint a magnolia flower watercolor for the US Secretary of State Colin Powell's wife - 2009
2 works selected for poster for Major Nationwide Art Colleges to join Artistful - OCT 08
Represented Artist - Pet Fashion Show - NYC http://www.bkfashionweekend.com OCT 08
"Magnolia" selected for 2008 Moonlight and Magnolias Ball
"Water Lily" selected for Water Lily Shop design shop 2008
Winner for 1st Issue Cover Art, Art Space, 2008
The Gallery Grand Champion 2007, No. 1 Artist Online
Digital Consciousness Digital Color Artist of the Month OCT 2007
Digital Bits Artist of the Month AUG 07
1st Place GA Arts Exhibition - 1985
Artist of the Week in August 2001 for Art Gallery Online

Past Exhibits Include:

Buckheads Bar and Grill - Columbus GA - 2009
Brown Art Gallery - Atlanta Georgia - Solo Exhibition June 5 - July 17, 2009
Arts in the Park - Columbus, GA June 7, 2009
New York in Columbus GA Christmas Gala Dec 2008
Veteran's Park Art Show Dec 2008, Florida
NYC Pet Fashion Show OCT 2008
Chateau Elan Vineyard OCT 2002
South GA Art Fair 2001
North Carolina First Fridays 1998-2001
Numerous GA exhibits 1984-1987

Derek's Monthly Newsletters are below, click on link to view the newsletters:

My Web Awards