Mike Capron

A real cowboy turned artist, Mike Capron uses memory drawing and traditional pen and ink techniques as a mode for translating the scenes and events of West Texas ranching onto paper. Capron has always had a passion for horses and the cowboy way of life. While working primarily as a cowboy, he has searched constantly for art instruction and describes himself as fascinated by “ridin,’ ropin,’and paintin.’”

In the early 1960s, Capron worked on ranches after high school but was drafted into the Marine Corps in 1965. Prior to going to Boot Camp, he saw an advertisement for art classes by correspondence. He passed the entrance test and was several months into the lessons when he went to boot camp. His art lessons were postponed while he was overseas, but he describes himself as “doing double time” with his lessons when he returned to the United States. “It was great and I had a perfect start to learning how to draw and compose pictures,” he says. “I had great instructors from all the commercial art profession, from Norman Rockwell to Harold Von Smidth.” Capron was able to follow up with other opportunities to study art, but these initial art lessons opened the doors of opportunity for him. 

Capron’s art now reflects 50 years of living in the Southwest and spending those years illustrating his experiences and feelings as he moved and worked in the Western landscape. Capron uses oils, pastels, watercolor and pen and ink to draw the portraits, action illustrations, landscapes and animals of the Southwest. 

After living many years in Salt Flat, Texas, he and his wife now live in Sheffield, Texas, where he works out of his own art studio but stays connected to the open and spacious West Texas landscape.

View his website at mwcapron.com