A Life's Impact on Design by adam Slick Talk to Don Mize, and you’ll find him as engaging and interesting as his art. His soft-spoken modesty and unfettered honesty is unique and refreshing. Although he’d much rather be at the easel than commiserating about creating, when he does reflect on art, you won’t hear any “artspeak” roll off his tongue—that, he says, is just rhetoric. Mize’s work strikes even the casual art enthusiast speechless. Clean, swooping lines section off vibrant pools of color. Like Heartland aerial photos, his work marries rigid borders with abstract shapes and textures. Still, Mize’s work does not rely on color alone. The complexities of his designs can also be seen, stripped to the basics in his black and white pieces. A tremendous sense of balance is common in Mize’s work—and it’s no coincidence. A lifelong interest in mechanics and engineering have created a keen eye for balance. Hard edges and varying line thicknesses even pieces out to his liking. When a work-in-progress leaves Mize scratching his head, it’s usually the colors. Working with acrylics doesn’t make it any easier. The opaqueness of the medium and Mize’s commitment to each piece sometimes finds him using over ten coats of paint to cover a “mistake.” And, as most artists will tell you, their work is never finished. There’s always that one line that could have been longer, or a color a hair too dark. ...more Forward -- Previous -- Contents