Artists: Bill Mittag

As a child growing up in the sandhills of southeastern New Mexico, Bill Mittag had the freedom to roam the countryside on his little paint mare. "I shot bank robbers, chased Indians, and won the Cheyenne Steer Roping competition several times a week," he says with a soft chuckle as he describes his lifelong interest in the American West. Even before he started painting, he spent countless hours looking at the American West through the eyes of Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. Today, Mittag's own historical paintings follow the Plains Indians of North America during the late 1700's and early 1800's. The parched landscapes, dotted with camp scenes, tell the story of the west before the vast expanses of land were forever changed by shadow catchers (photographers), soldiers and road builders. Acutely attuned to detail, he devours reference books about various tribes and researches old photographs to add historical and geographical accuracy to each painting.