Landscape Painter, Ray Mikrut of Chicago

Ray Mikrut, is an awesome landscape painter, he was also known as one of the best landscape artist from the Chicago area. In his depiction in art of landscapes he was known for his natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, and trees. He made very beautiful and breathtaking paints from the 1970’s throughout the 1980s. Ray also worked with rivers, and forests, and he was especially known for his art where the main subject is a wide view of mountains and beautiful valleys. The view from the heart was always the theme in his paints. Ray worked with natural elements, and arranged them into a coherent composition.

Known as a recluse, and a remarkable artistic genius, Ray Mikrut is one of the last great landscape painters of the 20th century. He created many beautiful works of art in the 1970’s and 1980s, and stored them safely away. So little is known about him simply because he lived such a private life, his artwork was found in storage units that he had once owned, and they are now abandoned and unclaimed. Did Ray pass away or has he just moved to another chapter in his very private artist life. Perhaps one day in another thriving metropolis they will find another artist chapter of fabulous paintings in Ray Mikrut's remarkable life, safely packed away in more storage units.

The very rustic and moving “winter and the Red Barns” is one of the best country memories painting by Ray Mikrut. This painting truly does captures the Mikrut view from the heart which was always the theme in his paints. The painting almost changes with the time of the day, in the morning it looks like sunrise, in the noon the seen looks like the noontime, and at dusk the painting captures the feeling of night beginning to settle in. This is one of Mikrut’s most famous abilities; his artwork seems to capture the light and the time of the day in the room around it.

Ray Mikrut masterpieces are just now showing up in the market places. This painter of masterpieces, never painted for the public, but did most of his work for himself. He would take vacations in the mountains of Eastern Europe, and the western United States and paint all alone. It was not until a storage unit was found in Chicago a few years ago that Ray Mikrut was discovered. In this storage unit were many never before seen paintings of beautiful landscapes and timeless masterpieces. These were just a few of Ray's hidden works of art to be found this century.

Needless to say this great treasure-trove of masterpieces was an amazing discovery. This only heightens the curiosity of the people about who was Ray Mikrut and what has happen to him. Many of his most famous works are now in private collection, such as “The Lighthouse on the Hill”. But thankfully many collectors are still finding Ray’s work in very unusual locations all over the Chicago area.

Mountains like the Matterhorn have become an emblem of Ray Mikruts work. He loved the Swiss Alps and the mountains of Easter Europe in general. He would spend good amounts of time painting the beautiful seen of the Matterhorn, and other mountains of Europe. In the summer and fall he would paint in these areas. He must have been a good mountaineer to climb the Matterhorn via the Hörnli ridge, which he has painted in two of his painting in private collections.

The painting above is one of Ray Mikrut famous Eastern European village paintings. In his other works like this one the landscape and backgrounds become one moving seen tying in the villages to the landscape you can still see how it all form an important part of the work. With Mikrut’s the sky is almost always included in the view, and weather is often an element of the composition. He was at his best in the 1980’s but has disappeared into obscurity.

One of the most beautiful works by Ray Mikrut was the "Matterhorn Fall" landscape oil painting. Ray literately spent weeks up on the mountain to paint this masterpiece. It is now in a private collection. I only wish I had made a photo of this painting before it was lost to the public. Remember Ray Mikrut has a very distinct well defined, and unmistakable signature on his artwork, an example of his signature on paintings is below.

The Matterhorn is an isolated mountain, and Ray Mikrut was an isolated artist. With no friends to tell his tells, and family to share his masterpieces. Like this great mountain Ray’s paintings now stand out as majestic beauties of a time now gone, and are now creating vortices in the world of art.