Neal Mindel is a Bay Area artist living in Berkeley. For the past 50 years, he has been inspired by the natural beauty of Northern California that informs all of his art. He began as a tapestry weaver and then a printmaker, graduating from the California College of Arts & Crafts in 1975. For many years, he created wood cut prints, his favorite of the print mediums, which require only a flat wood surface and a knife. Since 2003, Neal has been a lapidary and silversmith. He works primarily in silver, with a gemstone as an inspiration for the piece. He often cuts and polishes his own gemstones. He is still amazed and humbled by the transformation of raw material into something new and hopefully beautiful.

Whatever the medium, Neal’s intention is to create a sense of harmony. His artworks are meditations. He believes that if we have a purpose, perhaps it is to realize our place as a part of nature and not aliens on our own planet.