Mike Etie Fine Art

Quiet in the Country

2011-11-26T07:03:00.001-08:00

A silent pastoral setting surrounds this white horse that belonged to Jenny may years ago. Jenny has grown to be a mom and this horse is undoubtedly moved on to higher pastures. I love the quiet solitude that pervades this scene around Giddings Texas.

Wildflower Pasture

2011-03-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

The spring time is a glorious time for color in Texas. Almost the entire year we endure green everywhere in summer and in the winter we are all grey all the time. It is time once again, thanks very much, to celebrate spring!

Galveston Island - West Beach at Sunrise

2011-03-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

I have spent many days and nights as a child, a teenager and an adult on the unique stretch of Texas coast. We've fished, camped and played in the surf. The sunrise here is so intense but brief it is impossible to capture as a photograph it must be rendered as art. This painting will be auctioned in May through the Heritage Auction Galleries www.ha.com. I hope you like it!

Walk Along the Frio River

2011-02-11T06:04:00.000-08:00

The Frio River inside of Garner State Park is like a holy place for me. I have camped along this river as a little boy with my family and brothers. I have walked and camped here as a grandfather with my granddaughter Iris. The feeling is always the same, calm and cleansing of the spirit. I painted this piece this week. More to come.

On Top of Old Baldy

2011-01-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

This fall we took our annual trip to Garner State Park near Uvalde. This time was very special because my granddaughter, Iris was with us. She told me later how she loved to camp and would like to live out here in the woods. We saw lots of wildlife including skunks, skunks and more skunks! During the night we were surrounded by them. Large, or small we had all sizes. Iris's dog, Kinggers was smartly very demur and everyone was simpatico every night. Live and let live. One day everyone climbed to the top of Baldy except Iris and I. We had fun doing other stuff. But after the trip I painted this piece for the climbers.

Aspen Trees in Chama New Mexico

2010-08-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite places on earth is New Mexico. And of all the beautiful places I've seen and those I have yet to see the scenery around Chama, in the northwest part of the state, is one of the most beautiful. The aspens are glorious in the fall and the weather is perfect.

Red Maples - 2010 redux

2010-07-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes an artist is not quite satisfied with a painting after it is framed and hung somewhere on view. After living with this Red Maples for a while and having it shown in galleries, I decided it was too dark. So I went back into it to lighten it up a bit. I am very please with the results. It is framed in a mesquite frame image size is 17"x 21" looking for a home.

Evening Above the Frio-Garner State Park

2010-07-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

The scenic overlook at Garner is just one of my all time favorite views in Texas. I have painted this scene many times and never get tired of painting it. I will be posting other new paintings of this part of Texas in the next few weeks. Our hill country views are similar to other locales around the world, but just knowing this is the real deal THE hill country, makes all the difference.

Blue Door- Santa Fe, New Mexico

2010-07-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

Santa Fe is just my perfect place on earth. Weather, golf, food and of course art. I completed this little pastel piece this morning. Worked on it yesterday with my friend Regina Calton Burchett. The light in Santa Fe is exquisite and the cast shadows on the adobe walls are just magical and colorful. Cheryl and I will be in New Mexico at the end of this month, can't wait!

Bandon Dunes - 5th hole

2010-06-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

This piece is the second of two paintings of one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Bandon Dunes in southern Oregon is on the Pacific ocean. We played golf there for a week in March. This particular day was the best weather we saw all week.

Pacific Dunes 13th Hole - Par 4

2010-05-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

During my excellent trip to Bandon Dunes, Oregon, with ten of my golf buddies, I promised to paint a couple of paintings to remind us of the trip. This first one is one of the most memorable, #13. The wind was blowing so hard off the ocean my ball actually was blown off the green into a fairway bunker below and 40 yards away. I went from a hopeful par to a certain double boggie or worse, in a heart beat. The green is resting at the foot of the monstrous sand dune throne where we paid our respects and homage.

Our Blue Heaven - Grey Rock circa 1993

2010-04-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

When Grey Rock first opened in 1992 the whole area to the right of #6 fairway was all wild flowers. I painted a pastel piece of that scene and reworked it this week. I like this painting because it really captures then sense of natural beauty that can occur on a golf course. This is indeed our blue heavenly sanctuary.

Texas Sunset

2010-03-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

Finally back to pastels! This medium is really my favorite because it is so much like drawing. With oils you have that annoying little brush that keeps me away from the action. With pastels I am on the field in the thick of things. I know it may seem strange to talk like this, but art and the creation of it is a little mysterious anyway. This piece is one of the first pastels I have started and completed in the studio in 2010. It is large 24" x 28" and will be for sale in the May auction at Heritage Art Auction, unless someone wants it now. If you want to see it let me know.

Old Ranch Road - Taos New Mexico

2010-02-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

There are places we love and there are places we really love. Taos and Santa Fe New Mexico are places I really love. The light, the color, the food the people, somebody stop me I could go on and on. It is a very cool place. This particular piece is a very large oil which I have worked on for a couple of years. I took it to a place I can called finished, this weekend. It is a beautiful sky and colorful terrain, with an old road worn out from years of travel. This piece will be offered in the Heritage Art Auction in May unless someone wants it before. Let me know..

Working Fast Outdoors

2010-02-12T05:34:00.000-08:00

When artists, out in the elements, get their easels all teed up, ready to paint, they have to move pretty darned quick, PDQ. As the sun goes up or down, the clouds are always moving, bad weather maybe coming in, insects working for a meal, you get the picture. It is a test of skills: organizational, artistic, patience and humility. I'm pretty good on most of the skills except the last two, patience and humility. I am working hard to acquire a bigger share of these. This painting was done outdoors in the Sandia Mountains outside Albuquerque and required all of my skills. Therefore,I humbly offer it for your viewing.

Fredericksburg Texas in Plein Aire

2010-02-10T05:03:00.000-08:00

Back in the fall I had the pleasure and privilege of painting with one of my best new friends, Virginia Vaughan or V....Vaughan as she prefers. V.... is a professional artist, teacher and mentor. Mostly she is a really good artist, who keeps a schedule like the Queen of England. Between teaching, painting and keeping her family on track she is also a publisher. This little painting I did is one of about 7 or 8 I painted over a 3 day period. Lots of fun, and Virginia whipped us into shape like a drill Sargent. We were up at 5:00 to drive our location to paint the sunrise, and we stayed out there to paint the moon as it was coming up that evening. Of course I had a cooler of Budweiser. No sunset is left unappreciated, especially in Texas, especially by me!

Austin Pastel Society - Member profile

2010-02-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

Austin Pastel Society - Member profile: "information"

Palo Duro Canyon - Amarillo Texas

2010-02-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

People in the Panhandle of Texas call the Palo Duro Canyon the Texas Grand Canyon. I have to ask, "Have you seen the Grand Canyon?" While this is certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth it is only a fraction of the size of the other canyon in Colorado and Arizona. But yes, it is very beautiful! I painted here with Albert Handel and a group of other artists and produced this piece. The colors are very typical of this wonderful state park. I camped out all week in the canyon alone. It was a spiritual week indeed.

Sandia Mountains -II

2010-02-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

The Sandia Mountains outside of Albuquerque was a great place to paint.

New Mexico Landscape - Sandia Mountains I

2010-02-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I took a workshop with Gil Dellinger a professor and painter from California. I chose to work in oils during the workshop. It was held in the Sandia Mountains just outside of town in Albuquerque New Mexico. The Sandia Mountains overlook the city and are beautiful and accessible from my friends Steve and Diana Jackson's house. So it was a very comfortable trip and a pleasant experience. I remember my oil technique was new then and I struggled a bit at first. I have been working hard with my oils for the past couple of years and I decided to re-paint a couple of these Sandia scenes. I am quite pleased with results. Maybe Steve and Diana will let me come back this year and paint these scenes again from life. we'll see.....

Hawaiian Sunset

2010-02-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

Over thirty years ago, before Cheryl and I got married, we went to Hawaii for a vacation together. Our hotel in Waikiki was right on the beach. One afternoon I shoot some beautiful pictures from our room balcony. The colors of blue in the water were gorgeous. The range of color was from deep violet to shimmering turquoise. I always wanted to paint this photograph, so with the weather as cold and rainy as it has been here, I decided it was a good time to visit Hawaii, again. Although it is not in person, this mini-vacation is relaxing and fun. Hope you enjoy..

Fall Shadows ~ Grey Rock Golf Club

2010-01-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

I have been messing with this painting for a couple of years. Every now and then I drag it out, whip on it a little until I get tried, then I put it back until next time. I suppose we need to be reminded how hard this painting thing is for most people. However, this time I took a different approach. Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to lower my expectations and have a little color fest, what the heck! And I really like the results. So I guess I can leave this one in the light out of hiding in the closet. Poor thing it just needed an little infusion of FUN, sound familiar? Maybe you should relax and have more fun, too.

Edgar Payne ~ My Rendition

2010-01-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

Many times artists copy the work of other artists they admire as an exercise, sort of like doing pushups or going to the driving range and hitting wedges for 2 hours. The main benefit that comes from painting someone else's work for fun and practice is you usually end up with a pretty nice little painting. Now I have done this and even sold them to other people but only after I attribute the original artist and make it clear that I have created a rendition of another's work. I have always admired Edgar Payne and I painted one of his paintings for practice. Golly, it was almost like having a lesson from Mr. Payne. Thanks very much, pro!

Hill Country Trail - oil on Ampersand board

2010-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

I have been working in oils lately and have enjoyed learning more about the surface treatment. There are several reasons why a particular piece appeals to certain people. The subject, composition, color, size, price and surface treatment. Or as some people say "how you handle the paint". This particular piece is a familiar subject and composition, but the use of the media (in this case oil paint) is the attraction for me to this scene.

Garner State Park ~ 2009

2009-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

We made our annual trip to Garner State Park again this year. Fall is the perfect time to see the park without many other visitors. We almost had it to ourselves with beautiful weather and perfect scenery. We ate, drank, slept, played and of course painted. I got these 4 nice little pieces in pastel. We rejuvenated our souls and lifted our spirits as we have for the past 52 years of my life. God Bless Garner!

Recycling is a Beautiful Thing

2009-10-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

I have been working in oils lately and have enjoyed pulling out painting started years ago and putting my 2009 slant on them. Today I did that with apiece I painted in 1998. The subject is the Wild Flower Center back road to an area that is now covered with homes. The first time I painted the scene was as a pastel which I have since sold. The title then was "Subdivision Land". Now it is the ghost of subdivision land or aka. recycled painting. Whatever..it's a sweet little piece.

West Texas Sunset

2009-10-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of Cheryl's favorite paintings. Until yesterday it hung in her little study along with her other favs. Now it is in the Heritage Art Auction Gallery for the December sale. I promised I'll paint another, promise..;-)

Onion Creek Fall - unfinished

2009-10-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

This place is one of the most beautiful hill contry scenes I have painted. It is a place Gordon Fowler took me to where Onion Creek sort of begins. Not too far from Henley, the family that owns this property only visits occassionally form , I think Houston. I know they must wish they came here more often. I have done several small pieces on these grounds this is the first significantly sized painting. I will be finished with it next week. It probably won't look much different to anyone but me. If you like it I'll help you have it!

Frio River - Garner State Park

2009-10-13T05:35:00.000-07:00

This scene is a view from our regular campsite looking at the dam from upstream. I have painted this little view many times and enjoy doing it everytime. The park service does a great job keeping this camp grounds in good shape. Several years ago there was a huge flood and this entire area was devastated, you would never know now. Cheryl and I will be there in a couple of weeks. Come join us!!

New Painting Grey Rock Golf #13

2009-10-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

I have played so much golf on this beautiful Grey Rock Golfclub I always love the way the light comes through the trees at the end of the day. This little piece is an example of the beauty we see daily as golfers. When the world finally becomes so over crowded that we have only golf courses as parks we'll remember what it was like to tee it up on God's Green Acres!

Lost Maples Creek II

2009-07-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

This piece began as a demo for the Central Texas Pastel Society last year. It was done at the Windberg Gallery and art school complex in Georgetown. There were about 25-30 artists present, fun way to spend a Saturday morning. Recently, my wife, Cheryl injured her shoulder and had to have surgery. I went with her to an follow-up appointment to see the surgeon, Richard Schram. While there he told us about moving in to new offices in a couple of weeks. Well, this painting now hangs in his new lobby and waiting room. I-Phones are so handy for showing art to people...;-)