John DeMott, b. 1954, United States

Raised on a Thoroughbred racehorse ranch in Southern California, John DeMott has worked and lived the life of his artistic subjects and can speak the language of his experience. DeMott's art involves countless hours of research. Through his study of tools, wardrobe, accoutrements, and history, he is able to capture detail and authenticity in his paintings. The Plains Indians, a trapper, cowboys, a grizzly bear in the wilderness, or simply the beautiful Southwestern landscape—DeMott can make the viewer keenly aware of time and place.  Not content to work from models in a studio, DeMott participates in 1880-style shoot-outs, stands in the path of stampeding buffalo and spends time on Civil War battlefields.

"As a storyteller of the American frontier, Western art has been an important part of my life and I am proud to be involved in the preservation of our great heritage.”