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Michael DeFrancesco received his Fine Arts degree from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. While at the Academy, he studied under some wonderful instructors such as Bill Parks, Vern Stake, Eugene Hall, Fred Berger, and the renowned watercolorist Irving Shapiro.
Early on, he was awarded the prestigious Robert Allerton Scholarship and was chosen as a portrait artist for Walt Disney productions in Anaheim California. He has appeared on The Len Petrillio Show, had work auctioned on the annual PBS art auction, done both freelance and in house Illustration for a wide variety of companies, including The Combined Insurance Company of America, and The Boitsov Ballet of Chicago. His art work is in the private collections of McDonald Douglas, and The Continental Can Company.
Over the years has taught Life Drawing, Oil Painting, and Illustration at such renowned schools as Columbia College of Chicago, The Harrington Institute of Interior Design, and The Illinois Institute of Art.
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A highlight for Michael was in July of 2007 when he was invited by Serina Manqueros, owner of the highly regarded Wendt Gallery in Laguna Beach, California, to exhibit along side of some of the most prominent artists of our time, Richard Schmid, David Leffel, Sherri McGraw, Albert Handell, and Karl Dempwolf, just too name a few.
He says, "my work is a synthesis of ALL my experiences as an artist, and I have learned from many great artists, those in the here and now, and those who have already moved on ... Mostly, I paint the Midwest where I live, work and call home. Inspiration is always here in the beauty of nature. I enjoy the change of the seasons and each day I get to witness the forever changing painting that nature provides for us all to "see".
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815.776.1010 
