Bio - Commissioned Portraiture | Award winning Portait Artist | Oil Painting | Michigan based

<body> <h1> | Commissioned Portraiture | Award winning Portait Artist | Oil Painting | Michigan based</h1> <h2>Commissioned Portraiture | Award winning Portait Artist | Oil Painting | Michigan based</h2> <div>Bill Murcko's work continues to achieve acclaim and commercial success. His work has been honored in numerous exhibitions and he continues to paint commissioned portraiture for private and corporate collections.</div> <span class="links"><a href="index.html" target="_top"><font color="#989898">Home</font></a></span>   <span class="links"><strong><a href="portfolio.html" target="_top"><font color="#555555">Portfolio</font></a></strong></span>   <span class="links"><a href="content.html?page=1" target="_top"><font color="#989898">Bio</font></a></span>   <span class="links"><a href="content.html?page=4" target="_top"><font color="#989898">Gallery Representation</font></a></span>   <span class="links"><a href="content.html?page=5" target="_top"><font color="#989898">Publicity</font></a></span>   <span class="links"><a href="content.html?page=6" target="_top"><font color="#989898">Sold Work</font></a></span> <div> <style>  </style> <span class="encloser"> <img width="200" hspace="5" height="141" align="left" alt="" src="/users/BillMurcko1290/Image/BillMurcko1290233918T.jpg" /><img align="left" alt="" src="/users/BillMurcko1290/Image//clear.gif" style="width: 6px; height: 143px;" />Born and educated in Michigan, Bill has spent most of his career as an award winning advertising and creative executive.   He has loved the arts his whole life.   A strong desire to improve his portrait painting skills drove him to enroll in his first formal oil painting class - at age 48.<br /> <br /> Murcko's formal art instruction continued with the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Association and workshops in Santa Fe, New Mexico with the Academy of Realist Art from Seattle, Washington.  In 1996, he was selected for a special tutoring program in New York City conducted by nationally known portrait painter, John Howard Sanden.   <br /> <br /> Bill describes the collaborative study of painting with amateur and professional painters as a valuable experience which has helped to shape his style.  However, Murcko acknowledges that he is primarily self-taught.  Late night hours spent painting in his home or at his studio at the Scarab Club in Detroit has honed his talent.  <br /> <br /> In 1999, Murcko studied at the school of Realist Art in France and in 2000 attended the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy.   From there Murcko moved on to further study at the New York Academy of Figurative Art in New York City.<br /> <br /> <img width="200" height="122" align="left" src="/users/BillMurcko1290/Image/BillMurcko1290233917T.jpg" alt="" /><img width="5" height="120" align="left" alt="" src="/users/BillMurcko1290/Image//clear.gif" /> A trip to Kenya, Africa provided the inspiration for his first solo show.  Murcko was moved by the noble and beautiful Maasai people.  On his return home, Murcko produced an amazing body of powerful portraits that was presented as "Capturing the Magic of the Maasai on Canvas".<br /> <br /> Murcko's work continues to achieve acclaim and commercial success.  His work has been honored in numerous exhibitions and he continues to paint commissioned portraiture for private and corporate collections. </span> <div> </body>