Beecham, Greg

After a 46-year career of painting wildlife art, Greg Beecham is no less passionate to learn and grow as an artist than he was that first full-time day in the late summer of 1978. He struggled for many years to define his vision and improve his technical skills. Forced to slow down and ponder life and work as he lay in a hospital bed for three days in 2013, he asked himself a simple question, "Who am I?" In other words, "What am I trying to say as an artist and how do I go about saying it?"

His conclusion was that he must take the tools of his trade; color, value, texture, edges, drawing and composition and, in his work, strive toward unity in the context of simplicity and beauty. He is also fascinated with creating the illusion of mass, weight and volume on a two-dimensional surface.

Beecham considers his life work as an artist to be a journey. There have been a few paintings that have come close to matching his vision. But he continues to press on, hoping to match vision with reality. He believes his talent, opportunity, and passion to paint are gifts from God, and that it is his responsibility to pursue excellence in art and be a blessing to those who view his work.

Permanent museum collections: of The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK – The Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK, The National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, WY, The James Museum, Tampa, FL, The Briscoe Museum, San Antonio, TX, The Booth Museum, Cartersville, GA, and The Montana Historical Museum, Helena, MT.

Awards: Prix de West Wildlife Art award, 6X; Prix de West Buyer's Choice award; Prix de West purchase award; Artist's choice, collector's choice at Night of Artists Show; Red Smith artist choice award Western Visions Show Magazine covers: Safari Magazine (3 times), Southwest Art (twice), Western Art Collector (twice), Bugle, Wildlife Art News, Sporting Classics, and U.S. Art.

Greg has been married to Lu Beecham for 47 years. They have a son and a daughter, both grown, whom they are very proud of.