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

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Something New

   I had ben reading a lot about "Love Tokens" which are designs, names, initials or monograms engraved in one or both sides of a coin where the face or faces have been polished smooth. These date back hundreds of years and are a unique little piece of the engravers art anyone can afford. They were often worn as pendants or charms on the neck or wrist. I cut this one as an example of what can be done to give everyone an idea of the possibilities. This one was made from a well worn Buffalo Nickel where I polished off the Indian Head and cut the border and monogram. Anyone interested in more information can check this one out on Etsy by clicking here. Thanks for looking and stay tuned for a lot of paintings as I am getting ready for a Gallery show and am working on a lot of new work.