Meet Tim Mispagel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Mispagel.

Hi Tim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As is characteristic of many artists, I’ve had an interest in making and creating for as long as I can remember. As early as elementary school, my teachers recognized my abilities and encouraged my interest in drawing. In high school, I was highly involved in both athletics and the visual arts. College baseball landed me in Atchison, Kansas where I attended Benedictine College and majored in Visual Art, English and Education. I also had the opportunity to attend the Kansas City Art Institute where I majored in Illustration. Following college, I was a graphic designer for Gear For Sports in Lenexa, Kansas. After a three years tenure at Gear, I worked in Creative Redesign at Hallmark Cards, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri. My experience as a visual artist lead me to a position as the Art Director for Ingrams Magazine where I also completed illustrations for the publication. In 1997, I transitioned into the field of education and taught art at Bishop Ward High School for three years.

In 2000, I was hired as a visual arts instructor at De Soto High School in DeSoto, Kansas. I have several sculptures on public display throughout the region in the mediums of ceramics, bronze and welded steel. My work is in the permanent collections of the City of Overland Park, the City of De Soto and the “J” (Jewish Community Center) in Leawood Kansas, Benedictine College, the UMKC Conservatory of Music, USD 232 and Smith Cotton High School in Sedalia, MO to name a few. Currently, I’m working on a large scale bronze sculpture of a great horned owl for Olathe West High School which is one of the most challenging works I’ve had the privilege of creating. I am currently teaching the following courses: Advanced Sculpture, Sculpture, Advanced Placement Art and Design, Principles of Illustration, Graphic Design and one of my favorite preps, Emerging Technologies. In my Emerging Technologies class, we utilize 3D scanning, 3D modeling software, 3D printing, laser cutting, plasma cutting, welding, woodworking and CAD to solve real-world problems that we acquire via our class website www.emergingtechsolutions.weebly.com.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I wouldn’t describe my journey as smooth necessarily. In hindsight, it was more aligned with the saying, “Where one door closes, another one opens.” I’m constantly teaching my students about the value of learning through our mistakes. My class motto is “Fail frequently, fail often.” Anyone who considers themselves a maker will testify that most projects fail continually along the way. The cool thing about makers is that they never quit. It’s cliche but true…failure is not an option. We fail, we reflect on why we failed (or something broke) and we move forward armed with new knowledge which brings about innovation. Each work of art informs the next. There’s no turning to Google for a working artist who is innovating. I can’t Google “How to sculpt a great horned owl out of clay…” or “How to weld a steel armature for a great horned owl with a 10 ft wingspan.” I think that’s what’s most exciting about the making process is not know all the answers to the creative problems that present themselves.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in a broad variety of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Having a strong foundation in drawing and illustration has afforded me the ability to create life-like sculptures as well. I’d say I’m most known for realism. That being said, I’m most proud of the 15 ft bronze olive tree that’s in the permanent collection at the Jewish Community Center in Leawood. It was an incredibly challenging piece to make and I’m proud to have overcome the many obstacles. The piece was originally commissioned by Teva Pharmaceuticals formerly Teva Neuroscience. I’m also very proud of the life-sized raven I sculpted for the lobby of Benedictine Colleges new Engineering building. That piece and the problem-solving it entailed is greatly informing my current large-scale commission for the campus of Olathe West High School. Perhaps what sets me apart from others is my work ethic. I teach high school visual art full time then I work on commissions in my home studio most every evening. After many years of operating this way, I’ve found a nice balance between work and family. My children are very involved in their studies and activities and are both pursuing careers in engineering. I love watching my daughter play competitive basketball and soccer and I love watching my son play trumpet in both the jazz and marching bands. It’s often said, “Never a dull moment at the Mispagel’s.” 😉

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I have a presence on Instagram and I enjoy listening to books on audible. Some of my favorites are: Art and Fear by David Bayles, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, Mindset by Carol Dweck, How Not to Die by Michael Gregor MD, The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz and How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi to name a few…

Contact Info:

• Email: tim@mispagelart.com
• Website: www.mispagelart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mispagelart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mispagel-Art-164220123693274/?ref=py_c
• Twitter: Mispagel Art