He's what it's all about, a master of color and light. If you want to make a piece look all 'real,' that's what cameras are for. It's your own interpretation. Mitchell balks at the term 'folk art,' however. It's a decorating of everyday things.
People use bowls or tables, something they use everyday.
I don't even label my stuff, to tell you the truth. I just do it. He does sell work to friends and others who ask him. But he prefers to keep much of what he does relatively private. I do it for myself.