Sisters airbrush artist colors his world

To Sisters airbrush artist, Mike Yruegas, the whole world is his canvas.

"I can spray on anything. Glass, plastic, wood, metal, cloth, even a pumpkin or two," he said. "And it's all done free-hand."

His company, Serious Air Studio, is dedicated to presenting the artistry of the airbrush in all its myriad forms and applications. Nothing escapes the technicolor mists of Yruegas' paint guns.

"I want to get my name out there and let people know I can do custom artwork free-hand with my airbrush," he said. "The sky is the limit."

For nearly 20 years, Yruegas has developed and fine-tuned his craft with an airbrush, and he's eagerly assembling an array of one-of-a-kind pieces for an upcoming gallery showing or exhibition.

"I do it all, you name it: helmets, snowboards, skateboards, mountain bike frames, motorcycle tanks, t-shirts," he said. "This winter we did ornaments and stockings for Christmas at the Aspen Ridge Art Fair in Bend."

Yruegas grew up in the Santa Maria Valley in California and was well known at Righetti High School for his detailed pencil art and painting.

"I drew everything: cars, skulls, movie star portraits, still lifes," he said. "My art teacher, Mr. Halverson, always pushed me and saw that I had talent. He would display my stuff in class, whether it was acrylics or technical pencil.

"Airbrushing was a new thing back in 1990, and the first time I saw a senior demonstrate it in class I was hooked. This guy did some simple techniques on cloth and could draw and switch colors really fast. He made it look easy."

Yruegas moved to Sisters six years ago with his son, Antonio, a senior at Sisters High School and a top goalie on the varsity lacrosse team.

"I wanted my son in a better school system, that was important to me," Yruegas said.

You may have seen Yruegas this fall in a booth at the Sisters Harvest Faire, where his custom airbrushed pumpkins were a huge accidental hit.

"It was cold out that weekend and we were set up to do tattoos and face painting with the airbrush. But there was no skin exposed so my girlfriend, Chellie, thought maybe we could do pumpkins. So she went to the store and got five and I sprayed them. They were gone in minutes.

"I told her to go get 40 more at Ray's Market and we sold every one. People got to see it painted right there in front of them so they got a little entertainment with their pumpkins. One lady bought 10."

For Halloween, he went to Goodwill and bought a bunch of old alien and monster masks, then took them home to the studio.

"I looked at them for a while, then sprayed them with different colors and changed them up," he said. "They turned out pretty cool."

Yruegas recently unveiled "The Family," his latest airbrushed masterwork for sale. It's an impressive 45-pound, seven-by-three-foot sheet of rusted scrap metal painted with a group of gleaming, silver-grey dolphins.

Pockmarks of rust create the illusion of a kelp bed against the cool greens of the steel finish.

"I found the metal sheet in Bend at the Pakit (Liquidators) re-store, just leaning up against the fence," he said. "I'd been thinking of doing something big with some type of 'found object,' and this was perfect. It had all that great rust and texture and I thought that was the piece I wanted to put my dolphins on."

Serious Air Studio uses non-toxic, water-based Createx Auto-Air paints that are environmentally friendly. Most enamel and polyeurethane-based paints are being slowly phased out of production by the government.

Yruegas has been using these paints for almost 20 years, so he feels one step ahead.

Most airbrushers use stencils and hand-shields to create portraits and designs, but a true airbrush artist conjures his art free-hand, with only his airbrush gun, air and colors to draw on nearly any kind of surface.

There is a science to the art as well. One must always consider the unstable variables of moisture content, weather changes, needle cleanliness, air pressure, and temperature.

"You must be able to regulate your air so the paint comes out dry. That's very important," said Yruegas.

"The only way to create top quality work is to keep your gun clean. I am constantly cleaning as I paint, it's a give-and-take process. The patience needed to airbrush is overwhelming with all the stages you need to go through."

If petty crime is some twisted form of compliment, then Yruegas must be very proud after one of his custom painted "Bald Eagle" motorcycle helmets was stolen from Harley Davidson of Bend last month.

"Somebody took it! I bought the helmet myself for $200 and sprayed an eagle head on it. Some guy came in and said he was picking it up for me. There'll never be another one just like it. They replaced the helmet, but the art is gone. I guess I should be flattered," he said.

Yruegas' goal is to expand his range and get his signature creations seen.

"Right now I can't keep my artwork long enough to show it," he said. "I'm putting together a collection so I can present an array of different original pieces to the public in a gallery setting somewhere here in Sisters. People are going to be amazed."

Yruegas' artwork can also be seen around town at the SPRD teen center, where he painted three colorful wall murals, and a Bob Marley piece at Scoots Bar and Grill.

In Redmond, he created a full-sized mascot of a snarling red bulldog for the T-Mobile Call Center.

For more information on upcoming classes, gallery showings or to see Yruegas' portfolio, contact Serious Air Studio at 541-788-4240.