For much of his career, Todd Onweller was reluctant to call himself a painter, let alone an artist. While he grew up as “that kid who draws everywhere,” he was initially a student of computer programming, then switched to photography at the urging of his father. Nevertheless, Onweller avoided taking a required painting class, which kept him from graduating with honors from Central Michigan University.

 

After college, Onweller continued pursuing photography, including fashion, weddings, and creative shoots. His work was featured in American Photography in 1998, a milestone that reaffirmed Onweller’s commitment to the craft. His study of photographic elements like lighting, cropping, and perspective would later influence his paintings. 

 

In the early 2000’s, Onweller left his job at a camera shop. He soon confessed to his pastor, who was also an artist, that he felt compelled to paint. The pastor told him to go for it. Onweller started painting in his basement, selling every single piece to his friend, Brian Harris, who helped generate buzz around his work. Six months later, Onweller had a sold-out show in Fenton. 

 

Onweller set his sights on Flint, approaching Good Beans Cafe about doing a show. In Flint, he met Ridgeway White, who had been approached by Red Ink Studios about opening a local chapter. The two collaborated on running the Flint studio, which was great for the community. But Onweller felt drained by the experience. Onweller’s painting “Angst,” which was inspired by his time at Red Ink, is housed in the permanent collection at the Flint Institute of Art, thanks to the generosity of Michael and Kay Kelly. The piece was also featured in the FIA’s Made in Michigan exhibit.  

 

For the next ten years, Onweller painted sparingly, donating some works to auctions and galleries, while selling others. He created a mixed media piece in response to the Flint Water Crisis: a fountain spouting dirty water with a sign saying “you first.” The piece was featured on the cover of MLive. 

 

Over time, Onweller’s style has become even looser, with a focus on color and texture. His love of fashion and photography is evident in his large-scale portraits of languid figures, rendered with big, gestural strokes. Onweller’s work is also deeply androgynous, featuring gender-fluid figures, as in “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner,” and female-bodied self-portraits. This androgyny speaks to the self-reflexive nature of all art; the artist is always present in the work.  

 

Onweller is the co-owner of Artisan Co. In addition to painting and photography, Onweller practices giclee, the art of hyper realistic prints. He still finds it difficult to persuade himself to paint at times, but when he does pick up the brush, he experiences the joy of discovery all over again.