Ned Mueller

MASTER ARTIST

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MEDIUM: Oil Paint | Acrylic Paint | Pastel Art | Graphite Art
SPECIALTY: ✔ Plein Air ✔ Color ✔ Drawing ✔ Composition

Ned received a scholarship to study at the prestigious Art Center School of Design Los Angeles, and continuously worked at honing his craft, while making a living and raising his family. Because he could draw so well, Art Center he was asked to teach a drawing class of some of the best High School students in the Los Angeles area and substituted for faculty Instructors when they could not make a class. All the Instructors at Art Center School of Design were working professionals and students were held to a very high standard or were required to leave.

Working to develop his career, he was hired as an Illustrator, Courtroom Artist, Advertising Story Board Artist, Architectural Drawings and Renderings, Cartooning, Concept work for Disney, Book, and Magazine illustrations. He has exhibited in most of the Major Traditional/Impressionistic Shows in the country, has been in numerous Museum shows and has had three major exhibitions at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle is one of the few Artists invited to do a demonstration and workshop through at the Seattle Art Museum. His hard work, determination, and commitment to his craft, has resulted in a long and Award-winning Art Career producing a prolific and wide array of work in many different media, quickly establishing himself as a highly skilled Fine Artist and teacher.

Designated Master with the Oil Painters of America & the American Impressionist Society
Built concept work for Disney
Teaching for over 60 years
Formerly a cartoonist
Produced courtroom art for TV

Ned is one of the few Artists who is a “Designated Master” with both the American Impressionist Society and the Oil Painters of America.

He has won numerous awards and in 2020 – Ranked No.3 in the country of over 1500 award winning artists.

Art league – One of his biggest achievement Ned is most proud of, is being one of the Founders and President of the Puget Sound Art League. Modeled after the Pallet and Chisel club in Chicago. Its purpose and goal were to have a place where artists could go every day to improve their skills and confidence. Open seven days a week, at its peak, access for over 160 members, was non-profit, and had two studios where members could go, practicing Life Drawing, Portraits, Still Lifes and Sculpting, with access to Professional Drawing, Painting and Sculpture Instructors.

Having received a scholarship at the Art Center School of Design for his art education 60 years ago, Ned realizes how important it is to give back, and to make art accessible to Artists today, and following generations. This generosity is one of the reasons why Ned is still a sought-after teacher, giving in-person workshops all over the USA and World. This year with the Event of Co-vid, he was approached to give numerous online workshops which are hugely successful. He loves to teach, and his dedication, knowledge, and enthusiasm transfers over to his students.

Ned’s EXPERTISE

Listed below are this Mentor’s specialty skills. Join this group if you want to grow in these areas.

Specialty: ✔ Color ✔ Composition ✔ Drawing ✔ Plein Air

Technical:

Colour and Composition

Technique Demos

Studio Setup for Art Production

Providing Art Critiques

High Drawing and Painting Standards

MARKETING & BRANDING:

Social Media

Shows and Exhibits

I studied oil painting with Ned for several years. Ned is the best plein air painter active today. He is a master at landscape, either plein air or studio. He paints any subject with real authority, and is particularly good at teaching portrait painting. Ned is well known as a kind and supportive instructor. An opportunity to study with him is not to be missed.

Randolph Jones

I always enjoy Ned’s passion for talking about art. He always gives us lots to think about!

You told us to look at the world abstractly, and I have been doing that ever since. You also stressed value studies with examples. No one ever said that to me before. It all made such sense.

You are my all-time favorite instructor. I am grateful for your knowledge that you share so graciously, and your kind patience with your students. You impart a fertile ground for creativity to flourish in the art world.

If this year has taught me anything, I have learned to say thank you to those that have enriched my life in ways they never could have imagined. Now visualize your hundreds of students over the past years, what a contribution to so many. You are one in a million. Your work, and your talent is priceless. Thank you.

Debbie Short, Whidbey Island

I love Ned’s patience and that he gives us things to work on as well as notices the growth we are making.

Super happy that I joined LU. Ned is amazing! I feel like I am going to art school. Thanks again for the brilliant idea of LevellingUp. I just love the idea that art is not competitive. I am no where near looking to sell anything and I may never, but I always feared there was great competitiveness out there so it would be hard to find camaraderie and support. I am so glad that is not the case.

Jo, Aspiring Artist

I am writing to thank you for being the absolute best art teacher I have ever had! It was my lucky day when I went to a demo of yours and I got to watch you paint a portrait of an audience member. You did it in record time and it looked exactly like her! I knew immediately that I had to learn from you!

Since then, I have been in several ongoing classes of yours and several workshops. You have taken me from mediocre to advanced and you made it fun. You are always ready to help students one-on-one with patience and an incredible wealth of knowledge. I always come away with a feeling of satisfaction in knowing that I am just a little bit better artist each time. You are a rare find: A great artist, a great personality, and a generous teacher willing to share his knowledge.

Here’s to many more classes and many many more paintings!

With respect and affection.

Pepper Peterson

Whoa, Ned is such a wealth of knowledge. I could hear him chat all day.

Move your mountains, raise your trees, have busy areas and open spaces, move rocks to lead the eye, compare colours…” These are some of Ned‘s helpful instructions. In his course,”The Art of Seeing”, Ned teaches us to interpret or “see” a subject with an artist’s eye based on solid principles of art and design in order to create our own interesting and unique paintings.

Ned teaches with humour and wisdom gained from many years of art experience. He welcomes all questions. His critiques are always insightful. Ned has an empathy for all artists who want to express their own way of seeing the world. I am so grateful for this course which has provided a great foundation for my future studies. Thanks Ned.

Dianne Stewart, Calgary

I am writing in support of Master Artist and Teacher Ned Mueller. During my nearly two years of weekly classes at the Ned Mueller Studios, I not only learned the fundamentals of painting and good design, but most importantly, was encouraged and nurtured and given the confidence to enter the professional arena of the full time artist. It is the rare instructor that can share such a significant amount of knowledge while allowing all in the class to have a great time, in an equitable and highly entertaining environment. It is the rare artist who, despite a long and decorated career and a masterful style recognized internationally, can allow the novice the latitude to experiment and attempt to develop her own voice.
I heartily endorse and recommend Mr. Ned Mueller as an instructor. I can’t imagine a more qualified, kind and entertaining master teacher.

Valerie L. Collymore MD

Ned always has so many nuggets of wisdom for us!

Ned mueller is one of the most generous and encouraging instructors an art student could ever encounter.

He is generous with his art knowledge and without hubris or expanded ego. If you are a student with art knowledge, he is the teacher to assist you in your artistic journey. His extensive training as a graduate from art center, a career as an illustrator and then a nationally recognized fine art artist is the perfect combination to guide a student and further their skills.

The beginning art student will appreciate his guidance, support, enthusiasm and encouragement. Ned is always patient with his students. Whatever artistic failure a student may experience, he is there to explain, instruct and give continued encouragement.

Ned’s art background is extensive. But as much artistic knowledge as he has, he is always putting himself in a position to learn more, to stretch his skills and experience differing techniques. His students come to understand that painting and art is a lifetime endeavor.

Judythe Sherwood-Artist

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MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ned is a very accomplished and highly respected artist, having been drawing and painting for over 65 years. He has been designated as a “Master Artist” with both the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society.

He is a graduate of the prestigious Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles where as still a student he also taught drawing classes. He has participated in many of the major invitational shows in the country, including the "Artist's of America Show", "Great American Artist's Show", “National Academy of Western Art", "Oil Painters of America", "Laguna Plein Air Show", "Pastel Society of America", "The Autry Western Masters Show", "The Northwest Rendezvous Show" and the annual "Plein Air Painters of America Exhibition".

Ned has had three exhibitions at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle and has shown in some of the Finest Galleries in the country, has won numerous awards and is included in many private fine art collections. He is a Signature member of the Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Plein Air Painters of America. California Art Club, Northwest Pastel Society, Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists, Northwest Rendezvous Group, and the American Society of Marine Artists.

Ned worked as a concept Artist for Walt Disney Imagineering where he also taught workshops for the Disney Artists. He continues to challenge himself to grow artistically. Ned is asked to jury Regional and National Art Shows and he loves to teach and share his many years of knowledge and experience by teaching classes and workshops, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Podcast with Eric Rhoads

Watch Ned's Demo

On Drawing

What Every Painter Needs to Know About Drawing

There is no doubt that an artist needs to have good or great drawing skills. Drawing skills increase one's ability to see and sharpen our judgment and perception of what is a good design for each particular painting we are working on. I was trained as an Illustrator and it was necessary to be able to draw the figure well as most of our assignments would include figures and if you could draw the figure well...one could usually draw everything else quite well! Likewise one does not have to draw the figure to draw well..but certainly if you are going to draw the figure one should. Drawing trees, couches, buildings, fire hydrants, etc...relating proportions and perspective also sharpens one's eye and judgment and after around 10 years of that..a landscape or still life Artist could go back and do a pretty good figure! The love of the subject is a big component in all of this!

I loved to draw and started when I was four years old..very fortunate to get encouragement from my parents, teachers, and friends. I was the guy that they called on to do the Turkey and Christmas Art in Grade school, guide books, and was the Cartoonist for the High School Newspaper. The drawing skills, my attitude, and being from a poor family got me a scholarship and I was teaching weekend drawing sessions for talented High School students in the Los Angeles area...even filled in for Drawing Instructors when they were sick...over my head..but it was still nice! As a wise Instructor at Art Center told us...you learn how to draw well...you will always be able to find work..and he was right...I was a Courtroom Artist, did Storyboards, Architectural Drawings, complex Nuclear components, Advertising, and Editorial Illustrations. It's no mystery why many of the more successful Fine Artists were once Illustrators! Drawing skills and Discipline translates well into creating a work of Art!

This workshop will focus on a common-sense approach to learning how to draw...the figure - both nude and costumed, the portrait, and all other things. Your Drawing skills will improve your judgment and the quality of your work. I like to keep my classes on the light-hearted side as I have discovered that students learn more with that kind of atmosphere. I hope that you can join us!