Ross Stefan (Arizona, 1934-1999), "The Traditionalists",  oil on canvas

sight: 12 x 16 in., frame: 24.5 x 28.5 in.

Provenance: Property from a home in Houston, Texas

Born in Milwaukee, Ross Stefan became a painter of western scenes in traditional style. His subjects are Southwestern desert and mountain landscapes and stereotypical figures of that part of the country. In 1953, when he was a teenager, he moved to Tucson, Arizona with his family, and his father worked in advertising, which furthered Stefan's interest in illustration art. He studied art and philosophy at the University of Arizona and did part-time sketching for the Tucson newspaper. Norman Rockwell was one of his early heroes. Encouraged by Ivan Rosequist, pioneer Arizona art dealer in Tucson, Stefan quit his unproductive activities in the University of Arizona art department and set out on his own as a fine artist.