About Me

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I am an artist working in Water Color, Oils, Glass and wood in North Central Indiana. I enjoy Plein Aire work the most but often find myself in the studio during the winter when the weather is less than desirable for working on location. I have always been an artist, memories of drawing are some of my oldest. My early influence came from looking at old magazine covers done by Norman Rockwell. Later I discovered the photography of Edward Curtis as he had struggled to capture the American Indians of the Southwest before that culture completely disappeared. then I found Andrew Wyeth and knew what I wanted to paint. The Egg Tempera and Water Color Paintings of Andrew Wyeth were simply wonderful and I was forever committed to painting the rural landscape and those that live there. It was then I realized I would never again see the land as I had before I painted it. Soon after it was Winslow Homer and his Water Colors that kept feeding my interest in this medium and a traditional approach to my art. While I left the life as a professional artist for a time I find my return to it at this point in my life refreshing. Life is a journey and I am turning towards home. Mike Yazel

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

West on 20th Road


     This is a scene from earlier this winter on  a morning right after the holidays that just had to be painted. I was out for the morning looking for locations and while I had been by this one hundreds of times this particular morning it was just right. It was gray and snowing, wonderful winter sky and a landscape fading into the distance. The white buildings totally lack contrast with the land but that is one of the things that drew me into the painting. Sometimes it is simplicity of the scene that makes it hard to turn away from. Water Colors like this have always been my signature pieces and that is just fine with me. I like to paint the land and the people that live here. I enjoy knowing the farms in the area and who lives on them. I like the old houses, barns and outbuilding showing the character that comes through their years standing against the elements. So few complete farms remain anymore with all of the unique buildings that once made up the "working farm" of days gone by. Now farmland is more visited by those that farm it in the spring to plant and the fall to harvest. It is not so much walked daily by a farmer checking livestock and fences or cultivating the crops. Its not the land that has changed it is us, these farms are a reminder of how close we once were and how far apart we have become.
This painting is available, it is 15x22 inches on 300 lb Fabrino CP paper. Price is $295 and is sold unframed. Shipping will be exrtra.

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