The timeless beauty of outdoor landscapes is Mike Etie’s passion and inspiration. His paintings hold the drama that brilliant color gives to light as it reflects off rugged terrain, particularly in the great Southwest. The concept of seeing light on an object as a key to emotional response is at the core of Mike Etie’s paintings. As an artist, he tries to introduce you to a new and different view of the awesome world in which we live.
Mike’s primary medium is soft pastel, which provides him with pure color pigment. His surface is either 100% cotton paper or Masonite board with sanded surfaces. Mike has painted in plein aire on location in numerous states, specifically throughout the four corner area of the Southwest, as well as his local Texas hill country around Austin.
Mike also enjoys painting in larger formats than on-location painting allows, completing much of his work in his studio under a more controlled environment. Striking commissioned paintings are also available.
Creating art has been a part of Mike Etie’s life since he has a young boy growing up in Houston, Texas. In 1962, at the age of 14, he was the recipient of a scholarship to the Houston Museum of Fine Art Junior Academy. He continued to study art in various public and private schools, including the University of Texas in Austin, and graduated from the University of Houston in 1971.
Mike Etie moved to Austin in 1984, where he and his wife Cheryl founded and built a printing business and raised their two children. The business was sold in 1993 and Mike then began painting seriously. Mike credits Albert Handell of Santa Fe as his most significant mentor and teacher. In addition, he has also studied with Daniel Greene, Lisa Klaymen, Eric Michaels, Gil Dillinger and Gordon Fowler. His work can be viewed in leading galleries across the southwest including Santa Fe, Austin, and Dallas and hangs in many corporate and private collections throughout the United States. Mike was a featured artist at the 2000 Austin Fine Arts Festival and 2001 Austin Artist Harvest.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
“In my paintings, I strive to capture the intensity of emotional response that describes the way one feels as he sees the sun move quickly at the beginning and end of each day. We are all so caught up in our lives that we forget to acknowledge God’s gifts, controlling what we do and how we feel in subtle ways. Of course, the sun rises every day, but never appears the same exact way. The appreciation of that daily difference is one of the blessings we are given without any obligation – we have only to notice and enjoy.
