Dean Mabe bio: Dean’s art is a culmination of years spending time on his ranch in southern Colorado with his horses, watching sunsets, mountain hunting trips, hikes into wilderness areas, and climbs up 14,000 foot peaks. After sketching and working with acrylics and oils, Dean settled into oils to tell his story. His art tells his experience of time he spent in a saddle, watching the sunrise, or the moment summer turns to autumn. His work is representational and somewhat impressionistic, with just enough detail to capture the moment.

Dean was born in Colorado Springs though most folks think of him as being from Fairplay, Colorado, the home of his parents and where his brother was born. Dean grew up on a small place north of Colorado Springs where he raised the usual farm animals and spent time with his horse Chico, a US army horse. When Chicomoved on to horsey heaven Dean got Comanche, a full blooded quarter horse paint. Dean would ride Comanche down the draw at night to watch the sun go down and ride back a mile or two in the dark, winter or summer, just him and that horse. At age 16 things changed a little when cars and girls entered the scene. At that juncture, Dean was the class artist, always drawing and frequently spending time in art class. Even at an early age, his art was in demand. His first art sale was a trio of deer jumping a fence in a winter scene.

During high school, Dean developed an interest in city planning so in college he pursued civil engineering and especially enjoyed doing the required illustrations. With that he was lead down a path into an advertising agency where he won many awards in excellence for his artwork, film work and ad campaigns. He then worked both for himself and for private firms as a land planner before returning to a full-time art career. Following College Dean studied with many of the top artistist in the west to develope his painting skills. in addition his friendships allowed him to paint with some of the top artists in the west as his career grew.

Many things challenged Dean's art career. He was widowed in 1978 leaving him with a four month old daughter to raise. After a few years of getting things straight and remarried and the art career going again Dean was stricken with an illness that put him in the hospital for five months. Undaunted Dean and his current wife Renee' moved to Del Norte, Colorado to furter pursue art.

In 2002 Dean and Renee' moved back to the Colorado Springs area. Ellicott to be more exact to a ranch there with four of thier horses , four dogs and four cats. Dean remodeled the house and put in a free standing 1200 square foot studio outside the home where he has views of the entire front range from the Spanish Peaks to the Air Force Academy. He calls it the Blue Horizon Studio at the Pine Shadow Ranch.

Having grown up on a ranch and spending most of his time outdoors, the thought of being an artist was always with Dean. Watching the seasons pass was just not enough. It was Dean's desire to mingle with the seasons and attempt to catch and interpret the moment. Those times with his horse spent outdoors traveling, hunting, exploring lead Dean to want to incorporate his love for the cowboy life and horses into his love of the outdoors and their ever-changing moods into his art. So now , Dean is sharing his work in many one man shows and invitationals across the western United States and top galleries.

<<  Back to Images