George Dee Smith (Wyoming, b. 1944), "Yellowstone Grizzly", oil on panel, signed lower right, signed again and titled on the verso, with note reading "Painted 2004 in Wapiti Valley, Wyo.", with The Legacy Gallery (Jackson, Wyoming) label verso

sight: 12 x 18 in., frame: 20 x 25  in.

Provenance: Property from the Estate of Robert A. "Bob" Funk Sr. - trailblazing American businessman, philanthropist, and rancher, from his impressive ranch headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

George Dee Smith is a Wyoming native whose only formal artistic training came through drafting classes while studying architecture at Montana State University in Bozeman. After beginning his professional career as an architect, he transitioned to full-time painting in 1970 and developed a specialty in Western landscapes and wildlife. Living and working exclusively in Wyoming, Smith draws deeply from the state’s mountains, wilderness, and wildlife, creating paintings intended to document the American West near the end of the twentieth century. His work emphasizes the natural beauty of the Wyoming landscape, reflecting his firsthand familiarity with its terrain and inhabitants. Smith has exhibited his work in numerous art shows, and his paintings have been featured in Art of the West magazine and other publications.