The engaging works of this master watercolorist from Tampa, FL encompass portraits, landscapes and still lifes in the time-honored realist tradition. Mitchell uses watercolor, egg tempera, oil and pastel. His reputation hinges largely on his superb craftsmanship, the emotional depth of his work, his avoidance of facile sentimentality, and his skilled sense of formal design.
Mitchell engages with Black Identity by drawing his subjects mainly from African American culture. Of his preferred subject matter, he says, “Artists are observers of life, and it is natural that I would first gravitate to the space which I occupy. The neighborhoods I was raised in were segregated. Most of my teachers were Black. Churches I attended were Black, so it is natural for me as an artist to create works that reflect my own personal experience.”
He was born in Pittsburgh, PA and reared in the small town of Quincy in the Florida Panhandle. He started showing talent from a young age. After graduating in 1980, Mitchell moved to Kansas City to start working as an illustrator at Hallmark Cards. He remained at Hallmark for the next three years, after which he decided to pursue painting as a full-time career.
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Since then, Mitchell has received more than 500 awards, including First Prize from the T. H. Saunders International Artists in Watercolor Society’s Gold and Silver Medals; Allied Artists of America’s Gold Medal in Watercolor and Oil; and the Thomas Moran Award from the Salmagundi Club in New York. His works can be found in public collections across the country, including the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the St. Louis Museum of Art, and the Huntsville Museum of Art, among others. Organized by HMA.
You can see Encounters till March 20, 2022!
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Date: December 12, 2021 – March 20, 2022
Price:
$12 Adults
$5 Children (Ages 6-11)
$5 Students
$10 Seniors (Ages 60+)
$10 Military & Educators
Museum Members &
Children under 6 are FREE! (Become a Member)
Phone: +12565354350
Location: Grisham Gallery
