Ned Mueller, who has lived in Renton for 35 years, is acknowledged as an extremely accomplished artist both locally and in many parts of the world. I recently discovered that his studio is only a few blocks away from me in the Renton Highlands and was delighted when he agreed to meet with me and show me his paintings.

His studio is a large colorful space in his home, full of impressive works in different media and subject matter. My attention was especially drawn to the portraits. He has a special gift for capturing expressions and they all seemed so alive – I think it was the eyes.

Ned was raised in Montana, which he said was a beautiful place to grow up and he has been drawing and painting since his earliest memories. After a year at Montana State majoring in architecture, he moved to San Francisco in 1958. This was a period between the Beatniks and the Hippies and San Francisco was a flourishing center of creativity.

“I was clean-cut and boring,” he recalls. “I saw what the drug scene was doing to kids I knew, and I was smart enough to avoid it.”

Wearing a dress shirt and sporting a crewcut, he started working as an illustrator.

“My father then told me that if I wanted to be a successful artist, I should get into the best art college available. It was probably the best advice that I actually listened to!” he says. His talent landed him a scholarship at the prestigious Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles. While there, he also taught art while still a student.

After getting his degree, he got one of the first Art Agents in the Seattle area and worked as a professional illustrator for 25 years. His projects were varied, including courtroom art. He also did some major conceptual art for Tokyo Disney Sea Park, Animal Kingdom in Florida and California Adventure Park next to Disneyland in Anaheim. Plus, he taught workshops for Disney’s artists and animators. With Boeing, he was as an illustrator for Walter Dorwin Teague, who designs the Interior and Exterior of the Boeing planes.

But it’s not his jobs he is most proud of.

“I’m most proud of being one of the founders and president of the Puget Sound Art League because it helped a lot of Artists in the area,” he says.

As I admired the many paintings in his studio, I saw there were multiple easels and huge jars of brushes. Ned has several students who come there for instruction. He also holds and attends workshops all over the world. He has travelled extensively, painting and teaching in places including France, India, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico and Guatemala.

As for teaching, Ned says, “I really enjoy teaching and helping other artists improve their skills. It gives me a lot of satisfaction, and I’ve been doing it now for 50 years! I didn’t want to teach in a school environment, because I wanted the freedom to travel and work on my own art.”

I found out that Ned has been very involved in the arts here in Renton over the years, and he once was a Renton Municipal Arts Commissioner. We compared notes about how much we would love to see Renton become a thriving arts destination in King County. He is presently consulting with Arts Commissioner Paul Hebron and other members of the community in planning for the development of an Art Center.

“An art center would be a wonderful place for artists to paint and help and encourage each other,” he says.

Ned certainly keeps busy. Besides painting, teaching, and volunteering in Renton, he has written articles for Artist Magazine, belongs to numerous national arts organizations, and sometimes judges art shows. He has been designated a Master Signature Artist by the Oil Painters of America. He also exhibits his work in some of the finest shows and galleries in the country and has won numerous awards.

He admitted that at 75, traveling is more difficult due to back and leg pain, not helped by recent surgery. But he told me he just returned from two months in Ireland, where he has a long-distance lady friend. They met there a year and a half ago when he was accepting an arts award. She is also an artist. He laughingly told me she used to be a national kick-boxing champion in Ireland! “But she’s very sweet and gentle.” He added with a smile.

Ned’s art will be on exhibit on Feb. 5th at the Mocking Bird Gallery in Bend, Oregon. You can also visit www.nedmueller.com.

Contact columnist Jaris English at renton.creativeside@gmail.com.