Mike Elsass Art

Mike Elsass was born and raised in Ohio. He is well known for his vibrant abstract paintings on rusted steel. His method of painting is as unique as his canvas of rusted sheet metal. Elsass paint contemporary abstract on rusted sheets of steel. By working his magic on the steel through sanding, sponging and painting, the steel evolves until he lays the final coat. His spirit lies on the road, and the Kentucky countryside and the Arizona desert blend his art. From my first series in the Gulf Coast winter to Quebec, the Louisiana swamps and Canada, he draws his energy from nature and life. Many of his steel pieces have more than forty coats of paint and glazing. For him, the steel represents life’s elements, strength, aging, beauty and imperfection. His new Front Street location in Dayton and his beautiful Ohio country barn loft and studios on Easy Avenue give him time to reflect and paint in solitude. Elsass’s works are evolving, where they’re much more organic with more of the original elements like the steel and the rust. The patterns of his pieces of artwork have a sense of a former life. Today, his new pieces of art have a more weathered look with subtle colors that match well with the steel and the earth. Elsass incorporated sand and steel shavings to add texture to one of his recent works. Many individuals and collectors have discovered the beauty of framed Mike Elsass art. That’s why their demand is growing by the day.