“I’m attracted to people – all people of all colors and backgrounds.”

    Born and raised in Hammond Indiana, Mike Desatnick, after a decorated tour in Viet Nam, began his art career completing his education at the American Academy of Art, Chicago, Illinois. He was invited to join the faculty at the American Academy where he was an award-winning instructor for six years. His paintings of Native Americans show great sensitivity and empathy with his subjects. The bold colors, beautiful play of light and authentic native costumes are enhanced by the realistic expressions of the people he paints. Based out of his home/studio in a picturesque setting in Colorado, Mike also enjoys painting other subjects including still lifes, market scenes, interiors and the various people and cultures of his travel experiences. He is an artist who interprets what he sees and shares his emotions on canvas.

EDUCATION:
American Academy of Art, Chicago, Illinois (1967-1970)
Advanced Study with Noted Artists:
Bettina Steinke
Richard Schmid
Howard Terpning

BACKGROUND:
Hallmark, Kansas City, Missouri. Illustrator (1970-1972)
American Academy of Art, Chicago, Illinois. Instructor (1972-1978)

PUBLICATIONS:
Southwest Art (August 1978) featured article
American Artist (June 1982) Peking, China Exhibition
Art West (January/February 1983) People of the Century Collection, Noel Goldblatt
Contemporary Western Artists Southwest Art Publishing
Artists of the Rockies and Golden West (Sprink 1982) Peking, China Exhibition
Western Art Digest (September/October 1985) cover artist and feature article
American Express Collector's Edition (1988)
Art of the West (September/October 1992) feature article
Southwest Art (April 1995) cover artist and feature article
Western Traditions (2005) Fesco Fine Art Publications

SHOWS:
Northern Indiana Hoosier Salon
Allied Artists, New York, New York
Peking, China Exhibition
Artists of American, Denver, Colorado
Western Heritage Sale, Houston, Texas
Creative Crafts KTVY, TV. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Program Title: "Form and Mass in Painting"
15th Annual Western Rendezvous, Holter Museum, Helena, Montana
Mt. Oyster Club Show, Tucson, Arizona
Colorado Governor's Invitational Art Show and Sale, Loveland, Colorado
Twenty-Eight C.M. Russell Art Auction, C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana
Oil Painters of America 6th National Juried Exhibition, Taos, New Mexico
Oil Painters of America, Mountain Regional Show, Kimball Art Center, Park City, Utah
Realism and Contemporary Art of the American West, University of Wyoming Art Museum
Masters of the American West, The Autry National Center, Los Angeles, California

HONORS:
John F. and Anne Lee Stacey Scholarship Fund - Finalist (1975 and 1977)
Northern Indiana Hoosier Salon. First in figure and portrait
Peking, China Exhibition. Poster Artist
Juror-Wichita Art Assoc. 9th Annual National Small Painting Exhibition
Juror-Night Walker '96 Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, Fort Collins, Colorado
Juror-Wichita Center of the Arts 1996 Biennial National Small Oil Painting Exhibition, Wichita, Kansas
Oil Painters of America Signature Member (OPA)
A Selection Juror for the 2011 OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition Painting selected for the U.S. Department of State Art and Embassy Program