Carl M Crawford
Columbia, SC native Carl Crawford began his artistic journey early. As a very young child, he was influenced by the works of Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and the signature paintings of Ernie Barnes that were featured on the television show Good Times. Crawford won his first art award at Columbia’s Providence Hospital in an art competition as a fifth grader. At that moment, the purpose for his life was set.

A self-taught free-lance artist, Crawford received an Associates Degree in Commercial Graphics from Midlands Technical College. He also studied under Larry Lebby, one of Columbia's internationally known artists. Crawford has developed his own style, often using industrial ink on Masonite board as a principal medium. He also uses a unique style creating a collage from assembled pieces of magazine paper, giving his audience the illusion of an oil painting. The magazine collage technique has won Crawford several awards and recognition with corporate businesses and major fine art distributors.

Crawford currently travels throughout the nation promoting his work. The artist has achieved exposure in various cities and states including (but not limited to): Chicago, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta, Savannah, Washington, DC, Baltimore, and his hometown, Columbia, SC, where his work was recently displayed on the 2006-2007 cover of The Real Yellow Pages.

Drawing his subject matter from the rich heritage of his neighborhood, Crawford's primary desire has always been to have his slice-of-life works touch a memory in people. From scenes depicting his grandmother cutting collard greens to children playing in the park, his attention to the smallest details makes each of his works a collector's item.