Mike Savlen sold his first painting at age 16 to the wife of world renowned artist/author Rudy De Reyna.  While he has always been involved in art in some way he has also been and done many other things which has helped form his art.  Mike Savlen's professions have run from ditch digger to art director, Victorian restoration painter to nightclub owner, sign carver to commercial fisherman and many more in between.  He has  also served in his country in two branches of the military, jumped from a perfectly good plane and bungeed from a bridge.  He has been known to run barefoot through the snow at times because he like the way it feels, and has climbed mountains in the dark to watch the sunrise.  However Mike says the one constant in all the things he does do or has done, is that he can never stop creating. Like a magnet he is always drawn back to art.

Mike says "I am constantly inspired by what I experience outdoors an avid hunter and fisherman and proud of it. From beautiful to brutal, hilarious to heartbreaking.  I find nature is truth in the purest form.  Never asking for praise and having no need for forgiveness."

Out in the wild Mike learns interesting things about himself and the art of nature.  Varied experiences have lead him to new knowledge and insight, such as how very intense the colors of the woods become when an angry bull moose chases you down a mountain.  Or that bears can appear to be gentle, playful creatures and are a lot of fun to watch or sketch, until you refuse to share your frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich with them.
Long periods afield have proven to Mike Savlen that squirrels actually do fall out of trees and birds fly straight into them.  Also if your not careful, the sound of an icy river your fly fishing in, can lull you to sleep and give you a hell of a shocking wake up. The artist in Mike never sees snow as pure white, but a reflection of the millions of colors around it and "Mike the sportsman" has learned that the sound of silence twenty miles from civilization can be quite deafening.
You may think these strange reasons for inspiration, but to Mike Savlen nature is the purest and most honest art there is. The perfection lies in its imperfection.

 

About 5 years ago Mike decided to forego chasing his tail and the almighty dollar. To take his leap of faith, and accept the fact that he is simply an artist. Mike Savlen now paints full time professionally, and with the incredible patience, help and tenacity of his girlfriend run Savlen Studios. Which allows Mike to travel the world. Chasing that "catch of a lifetime", brief moment of inspiration, and his next big adrenaline rush. Simply put: Truly embracing the great adventure that is life!