Born in West Texas, Mittag lived 15 miles from the nearest town and as a young boy, had the freedom to roam the countryside on horseback. It was a natural progression to go from his rural childhood and rodeo experiences to incorporating this authenticity into the stories behind the subject matter of his present day art. Even before he started painting, he spent countless hours looking at the American West through the eyes of Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. Today, Mittag&#39;s own historical paintings follow the Plains Indians of North America during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The parched landscapes, dotted with camp scenes, tell the story of the west before the vast expanses of land were forever changed by shadowcatchers, soldiers and road builders.</p>