Mike Krone

Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1947.  Moved with my parents to Lawrence Kansas in 1950 where I lived until 1972.  I always had a fascination for art but never engaged in doing any until the late 60's when I became interested in ships in bottles.  In 1972  I participated in the National Crafts Festival at Silver Dollar City.  There I met Pete Engler who hired me as a woodcarver. I then moved to Branson, Missouri where I have lived ever since.  I worked for Pete and Ron Conn until 1990 at the Wilderness Roads Clockworks in Reed's spring, MO, and  Mountain Woodcarvers in Branson. 

As a carver I was mainly interested in American western themes: cowboys , indians, horses, etc.  During this  time, between 1990 and today, I, in my spare time and  during the winter months, executed a dozen bronze sculptures (Indians), did graphite portraits, dabbled in pastels,  and in mid '00 took up representational oil painting.  At first I struggled with it, finding it tedious and boring, but in the last couple years have grown more apt and have begun spending more time doing it.  I also have found it relaxing to do modern/contemporary paintings as a counter-point to the more structured "reality" based subjects, most of which are landscapes.