For more than 30 years, Stephen Wayne Cardwell helped businesses tell their stories through design, composition and emotion.

Now, the Janesville artist is using those same skills to tell stories of dragons, fairies, gnomes, mythical creatures and imagined worlds that feel just believable enough to step into.

Cardwell, a Wisconsin-based artist with a background in print production, advertising, web design and art direction, creates painterly digital fantasy artwork focused on storytelling, emotion and light. He will bring his work to the 64th Annual New Glarus Art in the Park this August.

“For over 30 years I worked as a print and web designer, as well as an art director, helping businesses tell their stories through design, composition and emotion,” Cardwell said. “Those years taught me how light directs the eye, how color creates mood, and how every element in an image should support the story.”