Lee Youngman Art Galleries; Artists Clark Mitchell

Clark G. Mitchell

Growing up in the shadow of the Rockies, Clark Mitchell very early developed a love of the natural world, endlessly sketching the countryside. When very young, he was given a set of fine old German pastels by his father, and quickly embraced the medium for its ease of handling and brilliance of color, as well as for its portability when working on location.

Augmenting years of personal exploration with more recent workshop study, most notably with well-known artists Albert Handell, Skip Whitcomb, Michael Lynch and William Hook, he has developed a facility that enables him to create tightly rendered scenes as well as loose, more abstract suggestions.

Mitchell received a bachelor’s degree in art from Colorado College in the early 70’s and moved to the San Francisco Bay area to continue his studies at the Academy of Art College. In order to more fully immerse himself in the countryside he loved to portray, Mitchell left San Francisco with his partner over 15 years ago and moved north into the wine country. It was there that his work in pastel truly blossomed. The rolling hills, green in winter and spring, tawny in summer and fall; majestic eucalyptus trees towering over the vineyards; the moisture-laden atmosphere so notable in the afternoon light—all serve as the endless sources of inspiration.

Clark Mitchell has been designated Master Pastelist by the Pastel Society of American and a Distinguished Pastelist by the Pastel Society of the West Coast. He has received numerous awards in local as well as national competitions, has been featured in several art publications, and has participated in the Great American Artists Exhibition in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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