Welcome
to
CorteseArt
Check out my New Arrivals below or click on the Shop button to explore my entire collection
The back of each piece is titled, signed, and dated
MY STORY
I'm Michael S. Cortese Jr., a self-taught artist and the creator behind CorteseArt. I've been drawn to making art since I was a child, when I discovered the freedom of picking up a pencil and simply creating whatever I could imagine. An elementary school art teacher encouraged me to join an after-school art program, and that early experience sparked a passion that has stayed with me ever since.
My work is rooted in color, pattern, texture, mark-making and abstract design. I enjoy the freedom of working without a predetermined outcome, allowing each layer to influence what comes next. I often begin with an idea, a color palette or simply a feeling, then build, cover, uncover and reshape the composition until the painting feels complete.
My background outside of art has also influenced the way I create. I studied engineering and spent my career working in analytics, where I learned to look for patterns, relationships and balance. I find myself using those same instincts when I work on a canvas—experimenting, reacting to what is happening in front of me and making decisions one layer at a time.
Music has always been another important source of inspiration for me. It has a way of changing a mood, creating energy and allowing you to let go for a while. I hope my artwork can do something similar. Whether a piece catches your attention because of its color, movement, texture or simply the way it makes you feel, my goal is for it to bring a little of that same energy and enjoyment into your space.
Thank you for taking the time to explore CorteseArt and my work.
MY PROCESS
Every painting starts differently. I usually begin by harmonizing the palette rather than simply using colors straight from the tube, creating a color relationship that can carry throughout the piece.
From there, the painting becomes a conversation between adding and subtracting. I build layer after layer using acrylic paint, pencil, chalk, oil pastel, spray paint, stencils, markers and different types of paper and found materials — sometimes including magazine pages or sheet music. I may cover something I've just created, scrape it back, draw over it, or allow an earlier layer to peek through.
I rarely know exactly what the finished painting will look like when I begin. I respond to what is happening on the canvas and let each layer influence the next. Sometimes I follow a set of rules; other times I deliberately break them.
That back-and-forth is what I love about abstract art. The finished painting isn't just the final image — it's the history of everything underneath it.
COMMISSIONS
Commissioned pieces are available upon request. Please contact me for more information by clicking on the link to get in touch with me. Thank you for your interest.
SHIPPING & DELIVERY
CorteseArt is a self-owned and operated business. I will work to have your order packaged and shipped in a timely manner once the sale has been verified.
Shipping fees vary by weight/your location and will be applied to my artwork completed on canvas or a $5 fee for artwork on heavyweight paper for all orders in the United States.
If you live outside the United States and are interested in purchasing my artwork then please reach out to me, my contact information is below.
Thank you for shopping at CorteseArt.
CONTACT ME
At CorteseArt, I believe that my collection speaks for itself. If you have any questions regarding my products, services, art process or materials used - don’t hesitate to get in touch.