Dean Mitchell was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in Florida. His life was shaped by his maternal grand-mother, Marie Mitchell, who raised him. It was that upbringing that inspires his remarkable work.

Dean bought his first set of oils when he was twelve years old, and by the time he was accepted into the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio, he was already an accomplished painter. His paintings were winning awards by his sophomore year.

After graduation, Dean did painting for a major greeting card company and participated in dozens of art shows. He received so many awards and recognition that he was eventually able to work commercially on a freelance basis and spend more time on his fine art career.

So far Dean has created two art pieces of black soldier's participation in the Civil War; Fort Scott Soldier, and a companion piece, Return for Honor