About the Artist
Erwin P. Lewandowski
Contemporary Realism + The Abstract in Realism
Professional artist Erwin P. Lewandowski maintains a studio/residence along the shoreline of Lake Huron in Northern Michigan. He is a graduate of the Fine Arts Department at Central Michigan University. His second career as a professional artist began in 2004 following 25 years of business development, management and co-ownership.
As an artist he's managed to find a comfortable blend of artistic skill, styles of work, subjects of interest, medium preferences, and a business plan that includes many of the accounting and marketing issues associated with a fine arts career. Stepping back into the art world after a long absence was a challenging and humbling experience for him. Learning to adjust to a new way of marketing art involved hours upon hours of research. One of his first major decisions was to start working with a new medium [premium colored pencils] instead of continuing exclusive use of pigment ink liners and graphite pencils. A second equally important change occurred with his interest in creating artwork in three styles: Contemporary Realism and Hyperrealism and the Abstract in Realism. Using waterscape and landscape themes, he is able to create stunning images that focus on particular elements, structures, movements, and shapes in nature. Artistic license is a big part of his planning and often involves taking two or more settings and combining them to create a scene that is unique in style, meticulously rendered in detail, and visually appealing in form, content, and composition.
He is an award-winning artist that includes two very special International Guild of Realism BEST in DRAWING awards. He has achieved Signature Status and/or Master's Status with drawing organizations in Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and United States. His artwork continues to be featured in solo and group exhibitions, galleries, in art publications and on social media. Each year he takes time to write articles about his artwork and host drawing workshops.
Artist Statement
I've been fortunate in my art career to find a subject of interest that continues to challenge and excite me year after year. The subject, waterscapes [along with landscapes], is present in all of our lives, regardless of our location in the world. My approach to this area of interest is to seek out raw images that are unique in style, form, content, and composition. I also categorize the artwork by series [Falling Water, Cascading Water, Landscapes, Crevice Streams, etc.] in order to qualify the artwork for my portfolio and the viewer. My choice of mediums includes colored pencils, permanent pigment ink liners and graphite pencils. This combination provides me with the ideal materials to format and achieve my goals as a fine artist.
Solo and Group Shows
2026 International Guild of Realism Fall Salon Juried Exhibition
2026 Explore This! 22 - Colored Pencil Society of America
2025 Flourish Exhibition with Laurel Lake Mcguire at Mary Williams Fine Arts in Boulder Colorado
2025 United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society - 8th Annual Inside the Lines Online Exhibition
2024 International Guild of Realism 'Fall Salon' Juried Exhibition
2024 United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society Annual Open Exhibition
2024 18th Annual International Guild of Realism Juried Exhibition at the Brennen Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.
2023 International Guild of Realism 'Fall Salon' Juried Exhibition
2023 GRANDMASTERS of Fine Art Exhibition
2022 GRANDMASTERS of Fine Art Exhibition
2022 United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society International Exhibition
2022 International Guild of Realism 'Fall Salon' Online Juried Exhibition
2021 GRANDMASTERS of Fine Art Exhibition
2021 International Guild of Realism 'Spring Salon' Online Juried Exhibition
2021 Studio 23/Art Center 'Land to River' Group Exhibition
2020 International Guild of Realism 15th Annual Juried Exhibition at Principle Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina
2020 International Guild of Realism 'Spring Salon' Online Exhibition
2020 GRANDMASTERS of Fine Art Exhibition
2019 Colored Pencil Society of America 27th International Exhibition in Brea, California
2019 International Guild of Realism 'Winter Salon' Online Exhibition
2019 International Guild of Realism 14th Annual Juried Exhibition at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia
2019 Charlevoix Circle of Arts 'Fine Art of Drawing' Group Exhibition
2019 Besser Museum in Alpena, Michigan 'Lewandowski +Beins' Exhibition
2018 GRANDMASTERS of Fine Art Exhibition
2018 International Guild of Realism 13th Annual Juried Exhibition at Sugarman-Peterson Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico
2018 Colored Pencil Society of America 26th Annual International Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois
2018 Lovett's Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma 'The Clue Group Exhibition'
2018 Alden B. Dow Museum in Midland, Michigan 'Masters of Drawing' Group Exhibition
2017 Colored Pencil Society of America - Detroit Chapter #104 Exhibition at Padzieski Gallery in Dearborn, Michigan
2017 Pencil Art Society of Canada International Juried Online Competition
2017 International Guild of Realism 12th Annual Juried Exhibition at Winfield Gallery in Carmel, California
2017 Colored Pencil Society of America 25th Annual International Exhibition in Bethesda, Maryland
2016 Pencil Art Society of Canada International Open Juried Exhibition in Ottawa, Canada
2016 International Guild of Realism 11th Annual Exhibition in Denver, Colorado
2016 Colored Pencil Society of America 24th Annual International Exhibition in Tacoma, Washington
2016 C2C Gallery in Grand Haven, Michigan - Featured Artist
2016 G25N International Online Competition 'Blue' Exhibition
2015 Alden B. Dow Museum in Midland, Michigan 'The Ways of Water' SOLO Exhibition
2015 Pencil Art Society of Canada 2nd Annual Online Member Juried Exhibition
2015 Presque Isle Historical Museum - Featured Artist
2015 Thunder Bay Arts Gallery in Alpena, Michigan - SOLO Exhibition
2015 United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society 14th Annual International Exhibition
2015 Haynes Galleries of Nashville, Tennessee 'Furs, Friends & Feathers' Group Exhibition
2015 William RS Gallery in Stone Harbor, New Jersey - Featured Artist
2014 Colored Pencil Society of America 22nd Annual International Exhibition in Ormand Beach, Florida
2014 Haynes Galleries in Nashville, Tennessee - Group Exhibition
2014 River Arts Gallery in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin 'Wings + Water' Group Exhibition
2013 Haynes Galleries in Nashville, Tennessee - Group Exhibition
2013 Arroyo Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico - Group Exhibition
2013 Good Art Company in Fredericksburg, Texas - Group Exhibition
2013 Paige Ward Gallery in Calumet, Michigan - SOLO Exhibition
2013 Besser Museum in Alpena, Michigan - SOLO Exhibition
2013 Colored Pencil Society of America 21st Annual International Exhibition in Brea, California
2013 Colored Pencil Society of America Explore This! 9 Online Exhibition
2012 Colored Pencil Society of America 20th Annual International Exhibition in Covington, Kentucky
Awards
2025 First Place Award - Connecting the Line Exhibition - CPSA 225 Boise Chapter
2024 Talent Prize by Teravarna - Open Water International Competition
2024 Honorable Merit Award by Teravarna - International Juried Competition -May/June - 8th Flower
2024 Honorable Merit Award by Teravarna in 10th Open International Juried Competition - May/June
2024 Honorable Merit Award by Teravarna, Los Angeles, California - 5th Water Art Competition
2024 Special Merit Award - 2024 Open - Art&Color365 Colorado Springs, Colorado
2023 First Place Award by TopArtAwards.com for December 2023
2023 Realism 2023 Finalist Award - Camelback Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona
2023 Best in Medium 2023 Finalist Award - Camelback Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona
2021 Legion Paper Award for Exceptional Merit - Colored Pencil Society of America Explore This! 17 Exhibition
2019 Second Place Award at Michigan Colored Pencil Exhibition in Novi, Michigan
2019 First Place Award at Great Northern Art Explosion in Grayling, Michigan
2019 First Place Award - Coloured Pencil Community of Australasia Exhibition in Sydney, Australia
2019 Honorable Mention Award by Art-Competition.net
2018 Finalist Award - FASO BoldBrush Painting Competition in November
2018 Third Place Award - FASO BoldBrush Painting Competiton in September
2017 Honorary Mention at Australian Society of Coloured Pencils 'Colorabrations" International Exhibition
2017 BEST in DRAWING Award at International Guild of Realism 'Winter Salon' Exhibition in Scottsdale, Arizona
2016 Legion Paper Award for Distinction by Colored Pencil Society of America Explore This! 12 Online Exhibition
2016 Honorable Mention at Art-Competition.net 'Nature' Online Competition
2016 Guest Award by Australian Society of Coloured Pencil Artists 'Colorbrations' International Online Exhibition
2016 Fourth Place Award at Art-Competition 'Drawing 2' International Online Juried Competition
2016 Third Place Award by Colored Pencil Society of America -Detroit Chapter #104 Michigan Colored Pencil Exhibition
2016 Honorable Mention at Colored Pencil Society of America ArtSpectations Online Exhibition
2014 BEST in DRAWING Award at International Guild of Realism 9th Annual Exhibition in Charleston, South Carolina
2014 President's Award at Pencil Art Society of Canada Open International Juried Exhibition in Repentigny, Canada
2014 Second Place Award at Colored Pencil Society of America - Detroit Chapter #104 Midwest Color Competition
2014 Finalist Award from The Artist's Magazine 'Landscape' Competition
2013 BEST in SHOW at Michigan Colored Pencil Competition in Novi, Michigan.
2012 GRAND PRIZE WINNER of Southwest National Contemporary Realism Competition in Santa Fe, New Mexico
2012 Great Explorations Award for Outstanding Achievement - CPSA Explore This! 8 Online Exhibition
2012 Second Place Award at Michigan Colored Pencil Exhibition
Publications/Media
2025 Golden Peak Media Artist magazine - Article 'Working on a large waterscape drawing'
2025 United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society - Talkingpoint magazine - Featured artist
2024 The Artist magazine by Warners Group Publications in United Kingdom - Featured artist.
2023 American Art Collector - featured artist in Seascapes, Rivers and Lakes article by John O'Hern. April issue.
2023 United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society Talkingpoint Magazine - Feature article 'Breaking down the stages of a drawing'
2022 American Art Collector magazine - Featured Artwork and Comments by John O'Hern in the April issue
2022 Sharpened Artist PodCast Interview with John Middick - Released in April
2022 Colored Pencil Society of America - Featured Artist Artwork in the Organization Marketing Program
2021 Colored Pencil Society of America To the Point magazine - Article 'Colored Pencil Challenge: Working Large on Paper'
2021 Colored Pencil Society of America To the Point magazine - Artwork featured on the Cover
2020 Artist Magazine article 'How to Outfit your Drawing Area' October issue
2020 American Art Collector magazine - Featured artwork and comments 'On the Waterfront' by John O'Hern
2019 United Kingdom Coloured Pencil magazine article 'The Ways of Water: Cascading Water VI'
2019 Artist's Magazine article 'Water on the Rocks' A Step by Step Approach in the December issue
2019 Blick Art Materials - Featured Artist Artwork in the Company Advertising Program
2018 Colored Pencil Society of America - Los Angeles Chapter magazine article 'The Ways of Water' and an Interview
2017 Australian Coloured Pencil Society magazine 'Stepping into a Waterscape Drawing'
2017 Colored Pencil by Ann Kullberg - article "Stepping into a Waterscape Drawing'
2015 Pencil Art Society of Canada 'Go Brushless' Online magazine
2015 Drawing magazine article with artwork 'The Colored Pencil Spectrum'
2014 Michigan Public Television - Interview: 'Window to the Arts'
2014 Pencil Art Society of Canada article 'A Pas-sing Glance'
2012 Colored Pencil magazine - Featured on the Cover, Article, and Artwork Presentation
Special Collections
2022 My Michigan Health in Alpena - New Tower Lobby/Entryway - 17 Drawings
2021 McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey - Commissioned Artwork for the New Hospital Addition
Note: All individual collector information is currently considered private by the artist
Affiliations:
International Guild of Realism [IGOR]
Colored Pencil Society of America [CPSA]
Colored Pencil Society of America - Chapter #104
Colored Pencil Society of America - Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter #224
United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society [UKCPS]
Coloured Pencil Community of Australasia, Inc. [CPCAU] - Organization dissolved in 2020.
Pencil Art Society [PAS] - Organization dissolved in the Fall 2018
Australian Society of Colored Pencil Artists [AUSCPA] - Organization dissolved in the Fall of 2018
Special Recognition Honors:
CPSA Signature Status - Colored Pencil Society of America
Signature Status - United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Organization
CPX Status - Colored Pencil Society of America
MPAS [Master Pencil Status] - Pencil Art Society of Canada
MS [Masters Status] - Coloured Pencil Community of Australasia, in Sydney, Australia.
FASO Website BoldBrush Painting Competitions
2025 FAV 15% December
2025 FAV 15% January
2024 FAV 15% November
2024 FAV 15% October
2024 FAV 15% May
2024 FAV 15% March
2023 FAV 15% May
2022 FAV 15% December
2022 FAV 15% June
2021 FAV 15% September
2020 FAV 15% August
2019 FAV 15% December
2019 FAV 15% March
2018 Third Place Award September
2018 FAV 15% December
2018 Finalist Award November
2018 FAV 15% November
