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
My name is Michael S. Cortese Jr. but mostly everyone just calls me by my last name so CorteseArt was the easiest name for my brand. I am a self taught artist with interests in color exploration, patterns, mark making and abstract designs.
I have enjoyed making art ever since I was a little kid. I loved picking up a pencil and just drawing whatever I saw or wanted to draw, the freedom was at my fingertips. My art teacher in elementary school spoke with my mother and me one day and asked if I'd be interested in joining an afterschool art program where we would explore all kinds of art and how to make art and it's been embedded in me ever since.
In high school, my focus was more on architecture and drafting before getting into engineering graphics. I will never forget my AUTO CAD days. I studied engineering at Virginia Tech before realizing it was not my style and turned to the business world. I use my analytical skills to help meet business needs and solve problems. I tap into those same principles when putting a new color or mark on the canvas and reacting to it, changing it, shaping it, layer over layer until I have the finished product.
Music has also played an important part in my life and who doesn't love putting on some good music and just letting go of your day. I hope my artwork brings you that same joy and happiness in your day every time you see it as it did when I was creating them.
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.
There will be a $20 shipping fee applied to my artwork completed on canvas and 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.