Francis Livingston

Born in Cortez, CO, Francis Livingston has been painting for 25 years. He studied at the Rocky Mountain School of Art in Denver before moving to San Francisco in 1975 to attend the Academy of Art. He later taught there for 10 years. Influenced by Sargent and Whistler, Livingston painted primarily in a monochromatic style until he began to study the work of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, including Richard Diebenkorn, Wayne Thiebaud and others. That led to experiments with color and a fondness for the California and French Impressionists.

For nearly eight years, Livingston has been painting the Santa Cruz boardwalk. “I’d always been intrigued by amusement parks, the rundown seediness, the intermingling of the past and present,” he explains. “When I went down to Santa Cruz for the first time in the 70s, it had that same quality as the old rides, the colors starting to fade. It fit in with the look I was after.” The artist has also done numerous portrayals of scenes from New York City and Coney Island, focusing on dramatic architecture and color.

Livingston is in the top ranks of American illustrators, and his work has been widely published. His paintings have been exhibited in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, and he was awarded Silver Medals from the New York Society of Illustrators in 1997 and 1998.

Grant Macdonald

Born in Leesburg, VA, Grant Macdonald was raised from age two on a ranch in west Texas. He began drawing at age six. His desire to become an artist was encouraged by his family, and he received his bachelors degree in Fine Art from the University of Mississippi. After serving a tour of duty in the Air Force, he received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, with a thesis on portraiture. His instructors in Austin included Everett Spruce and Ralph White.

In 1971 he moved to Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country, where he gained widespread recognition for his landscapes and wildlife art. Since moving to northern New Mexico, the focus of his work has shifted toward the immense and varied subjects offered within that region.

Macdonald has participated in several major exhibitions, including the American Art Classic and the Western Heritage Sale in Houston, the Collector’s Sale in Dallas, and major auctions in the U.S. He has also been featured in several notable art publications such as Art of the West and Southwest Art magazines.