Charles Burwell

About

Charles Burwell is an American abstract painter born in 1955, known for his large-scale, layered canvases featuring complex linear elements, dripped lines, and evolving organic and geometric forms. He earned his BFA in painting from Temple University's Tyler School of Art in 1977 and his MFA from Yale University in 1979. Before formal training, Burwell worked in commercial graphics, technical illustration, animation, photography, and film production, which honed his skills while fueling his desire for fine art. His process involves meticulous layering, starting with controlled drips and building maze-like forms using a vast library of thousands of shapes developed over decades, initially from cardboard and wood, now digitized for efficiency. Paintings can take over a year to complete, blending influences from pre-history, biology, and abstract artists.

Abstract with complex linear, dripped, and biomorphic/geometric forms