Maynard Dixon Country 2010

About George Strickland

Born in 1943 in San Antonio, Texas, outdoor painter George Strickland started his fine art career through the field of commercial art. He first freelanced in illustration, and his work has received recognition in CA Magazine, Today's Art, American Artist, Illustrators Annual, and The New York Illustrators Society. After moving West with his wife, Carolita, in 1989, he dedicated himself to full time painting, and he currently works out of Oro Valley, Arizona. "The illustrations I had done earlier were primarily mixed media or watercolor, pencil, acrylic, ink, etc., but when I gave oil painting from life a try, it was as if the lights came on and there was an instant romance for me. The biggest surprise of all was that after painting on location for a few months I began to see more color around me than I had ever seen. In fact, although my eyes are not as good as they once were, I am aware of so much more than ever before. It's a big kick for me to go up to one of my students and paint in a small section with color that they had not seen until I put it in.