Welcome to my art website! I am Oregon artist Mike Dettman. So one of the questions I am asked often is, why do you paint? My answer is because I love and connect with nature and the process of oil painting. For me, the process usually starts by exploring a scene such as fresh snow in the morning light. From there, I try to put myself in the moment and patiently observe nature, hopefully with a cup of hot coffee in hand. It’s that spark of inspiration that really jump-starts the painting process. Sometimes it’s fairly obvious, and other times it’s a flicker, just tucked away a little… To discover and respond to that spark of inspiration is a special kind of moment for me. I then work out composition, color, and other considerations like emphasizing certain elements that are supportive of the main idea and eliminating those that aren’t. Patience in capturing light, shadows, and atmosphere also play a role. I might add, a sense of humor helps; after all, I’m standing in the snow, staring at a tree or something with a cold cup of coffee?
It is this love of nature, it’s healing qualities and the connection I make that keeps me inspired. From beautiful vistas to the more intimate scenes, I try to capture that emotional charge that inspired the process from that earlier moment of exploration. My hope is that my paintings convey the moment and spirit of nature’s inspiration. My intention is to follow through the process and create and express my interpretation of that special experience and then share that translation.
I have to mention that inspiration and light both appear to me from many sources, other artist, family and a few special people I am most grateful for. Thank you all so much!
