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

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Hoping for Spring

   Here is a little series of an 8x10 oil I did earlier this week. I am experimenting with a split primary palette and think I like it. This is my first painting with it and I think it adds a certain "unity" to the work that I have been looking for. With just 6 colors on the palette (a warm and cool of each of the 3 primaries) and white it is also quite simple. Thanks for looking!


This is the start of the painting where I am just blocking in some primary items and the strongest light and dark.


Here I have the background pretty well in place and ready to put the foreground over it. For me this system seems to work the best when I am painting wet on wet while trying to abide by the "fat over lean" principle. 


Here is the finished painting, This is a view behind my house looking west toward the pond and creek. The painting is 8x10 inches oil on panel. 
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