Born with crayons in hand, Michael Cook has pursued the elusive, mythical 'art beast' throughout his entire life. Winning an honorable mention award with his first entry in a juried art museum show at age 16, he won first prize in painting the following year with his second museum entry. Now, after exhibiting his paintings in over 70 galleries and museums throughout the United States, his work is represented in numerous private collections around the world. In art that traverses and integrates a wide spectrum of styles, from contemporary realism and surrealism to lyrical abstraction, his focus is nevertheless consistent, presenting the elemental and spiritual essence of the natural world, from traditional landscapes to metaphysical investigations. Michael Cook's art is not concerned so much with the specific subjects and approaches, but with the larger gestalt, the 'connectedness' of it all. As he puts it, " It is communion with Essential Mystery that propels us forward as a species. "
