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Biography of Derek McCrea My new email address is dereklovessheila@yahoo.com
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 20 years and his two sons, in Satellite Beach, FL, near Cocoa Beach. 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. Derek's works can be found in over 75 locations worldwide. These locations include galleries in North Carolina, Georgia, Spain, France and Austria, frame and arts and craft shops in the Southeastern United States and numerous online galleries. He won the artist of the week in August for Art Gallery Online while competing against 11 other artists. He has completed over 20 commissions in the past couple of years.His art was selected for the cover of The Eclipse. The Eclipse is a publication where poets write about the artwork of a selected artist once per quarter. 6 of Derek's works were selected for this publication. Derek's works can be found in Fayetteville, NC in PJ's Fine Art Gallery and the Graphic Design Firm. His works were most recently placed in B'zzzzz Expressions in Douglas, Georgia, in The Market Square Gallery in Varnville, SC, and in "Just What I Like" in Lawrenceville, GA. Derek's works were featured in LIA Life is Art Magazine in Aug 02. His last exhibition was in October 2002 at the Chateau Elan Vineyard in North Georgia. His works were most recently featured in Lighthouse Magazine (June 04), Skyline Magazine (May 04), Shadow Poetry Quill (March 04), and New Works Review (March 04). His works are scheduled for publication in the Spring 2007 New Works Review Magazine. Derek has donated several artworks to non-profit and charitable organizations in the past, the most previous being in February 2007 to Christian Mission Hospital in the ward for HIV children run by Joyce Meyer Ministries in India.
Derek is a member of the following societies:
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:
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 2 issues (March 04 and July 2007)
Ken Again Literary Magazine 3 issues (May 2002, Winter 2003, and Fall 2005)
Painted Poetry - Poetry about Art (2002)
Voices (Spring 2002)
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
Derek has won the following awards
The Gallery Grand Champion 2007, No. 1 Artist Online
1st Place GA Arts Exhibition - 1985
Artist of the Week in August 2001 for Art Gallery Online
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