MikeMahon’s style is impressionistic realism. His portraiture and landscapes seemto intensify and exaggerate the story hewants to tell in them.Ordinary people and places are suddenly transformedwhenMike focuses on the heart and soul of his subjects.AsHunter Ingalls, art educator and art critic, stated in a newspaper interview, “MikeMahon is an artistwith a clear command of both the oil and pastelmedia... (his)works reveal an ability to single out simple, unassuming details for special emphasis, elevating the imagery into radiant, dream-like originality.”
Mike’s love of art grew naturally as he was raised on the flat plains ofWestTexas aswell as inmountainousNorthern New Mexico. Both were vastly different, yet strangely complementary places. One would always make him long for the other. Mike’s broad Southwestern subject matter is an honest outworking of his family’s roots. His grandfather moved his family from Fort Worth, Texas, to Taos, New Mexico, in 1913, to be the towns’ only pharmacist, living next to Kit Carson’s residence and the one-time Stables Gallery.
Mike’s grandfather sometimes bartered his prescriptions for the paintings of
struggling artists, who were part of the original Taos art colony, and his artist-great
uncle,BenHopkins,wasmayor of Taos in 1916. From1958 until he graduated from
Texas Tech University in 1971 with a Fine Art degree, Mike spent most of his
summers in theRedRiver/TaosCounty area, but never away fromhis sketch books.
His life as a commercial artist and illustrator for twenty-eight years prepared Mike for the full-time fine art career he nowenjoys in RioRancho,NM, just south of Santa Fe. In 1978,Mike established his own art business inAmarillo which he expanded to include advertising art, commercial printing/typesetting, professional photography, film animation, industrial film making, and a photo processing lab. He has studied with Clarence Kincaid, Ben Konis, Kim English, Judi Betts, John Budicin, and Albert Handell. His varied experience in every area of the art business has helped him demonstrate excellence and versatility in pastel, watercolor, oil, and photography.
Passionately invested in virtually every area of the visual arts throughout his career, Mike is also the inventor of a revolutionary pastel management & plein air painting system, Mike Mahon’s Pastel Porter™.
Hewas featured in the North LightBooks’ publication, 100Ways to Paint Portraits
and Figures, along with 99 other artists from around the world. Mike has been
honoredwithmany First Place and Best of Showawards for hiswork including Best
of Show at the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico 2014 Santa Fe Paint Out.
He also judges national and regional art shows and teaches workshops with skill andpatience. Working in oil and pastel, he teaches a process rather than a techniqueoriented method. Students consistently rave over their results. He is represented by Art Exchange Gallery-Santa Fe and Reserve Gallery in Amarillo, Texas. Mike is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA), the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico (PAPNM), and the Pastel Society of New Mexico (PSNM).