A 1975 graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Mike McConnell worked for more than 30 years as an illustrator before focusing on his fine art. He often turns to nature for inspiration for the vivid visual stories he tells. He uses paint in a collage-like way, cutting out shapes with vibrant colors on handmade wood panels, paper, and found material.

McConnell won the President’s Best of Show award for the 2016 Biennial Maryland Regional Juried Art Exhibition for his painting Bear Carver. He is also a 2016 and 2019 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award winner, a 2017 finalist for the 13th Annual Bethesda Painting Awards and a 2020 Cumberland Valley Artists Exhibition Juror’s Award winner.