Don Oelze (Montana / Washington, b. 1965), "Sioux Fighter", oil on panel, signed lower right

sight: 16 x 12 in., frame: 24 x 20 in.

Provenance: Property from a collection in Las Vegas, Nevada

Don Oelze was born in New Zealand, and at an early age, he was fascinated by America and especially by the lifestyle of cowboys and Indians. When he was eight years old, his parents moved back to the United States, and Oelze went on to graduate from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

In 1992, while living in Seattle, he met a Native American named Everett who created Native art and totems. While working with Everett, Oelze completed his first large format Native American painting, and realized that painting Native Americans was what he loved to do most. Oelze's next move was taking a job in Japan, and for ten years, he refined his skills and produced many paintings and drawings in his small Tokyo studio. In 2004, he and his wife, Utako, moved back to the United States. They are presently living in Montana, where he is studying the country and people that he loves to paint. Oelze has participated in shows both in the United States and abroad.