Devin Cecil-Wishing (b. 1981) grew up in San Francisco. He started drawing seriously around the age of 13 after discovering the work of underground cartoonist R. Crumb. After graduating from San Francisco’s School of the Arts High School he spent two years working and traveling around the country before attending the California College of Arts and Crafts where he graduated in 2005, with High Honors, from the Illustration department. Following his time in college he studied traditional oil painting at the Atelier School of Classical Realism in Oakland, CA. During this time he traveled to Amsterdam where he fell in love with the works of Rembrandt and other 17th century Dutch painters. At this same time he began working as an instructor, teaching traditional drawing to low-income high school students in an after school program. There he discovered a true love for teaching and quickly began to teach at several Bay Area locations. Still wanting to push his own skills further, he applied to study at the Grand Central Academy of Art in New York City. Having gained acceptance in to their full time program he moved to New York in the summer of 2009. After studying there for five years as a full time student he was offered a position teaching drawing and painting in their core and part-time programs. He has received numerous awards including acceptance in to the Hudson River Fellowship and first place in the “Alfred Ross Prize for Excellence in Cast Drawing” as well as third place in the Art Renewal Center’s annual scholarship competition. His work has been featured in the Art Renewal Center’s Annual Salon and American Artist magazine as well as a variety of other publications, galleries and museums. He currently lives in New York City where works and teaches at the Grand Central Atelier.