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SOUTH COAST FINE ART DEALERS
South Coast Fine Art dealers specialize in purchasing important works of art from the 17th through the early 20th century. Every year we preview and participate in literally hundreds of private sales, art shows, gallery showings and auctions. We are in constant search for fine works to purchase. Please contact us today to discuss the sale of one of your paintings. Please note that our gallery only purchases original paintings - No Prints Please.
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Maynard Dixon (1875 - 1946)
A thin and fragile child, artist Maynard Dixon would spend his earliest years wandering his hometown of Fresno, California, along with his pony, sketching and painting all that he could see. By the time he was sixteen he was confident enough in his skills to forward one of his sketch books to the world famous sculptor and painter Frederic Remington.
Remington encouraged young Dixon to seek out a formal education at the San Francisco School of Design. He entered into studies at the school, but soon found its rigid course work and curriculum not to his liking. After leaving the school he found full time work as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines in the city.
The young artist began to feel doubtful about the direction of his work, and taking the advice of his mentor, he returned to nature to regain a better sense of his personal and artistic vision. He headed east, into the American West which was still sparsely populated in many areas with remaining clusters of Native Americans. During this time he worked as a cowboy, traveling through Arizona, New Mexico and southern California, all the while sketching and painting, before heading back to San Francisco.
He again picked up work as an illustrator, sketching crime scenes and depictions for feature stories. Over time he regained his confidence, and found his first recognition when the “Land of Sunshine” magazine published his work in 1898.
After this he once again decided to explore the world around him, and took a horseback journey into the Northwest of the country. He was gone for several months, and returned with a portfolio of work that was soon purchased by Harper’s magazine.
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed Dixon’s studio and required him to relocate to New York where he continued illustrating, but soon grew weary of the city life and headed back to his San Francisco roots. By this time he knew he wanted to focus on his easel painting and he began working to make this possible. Whenever time allowed he would head to his Tucson, Arizona studio to paint the landscapes and people he so loved.
By the 1920s he had developed a unique style, relying on dramatic color to depict the landscapes of the West. This unique palette and method became his hallmark, and he began to acquire an international following.
During the years of the Great Depression he was commissioned to do several murals, which were remarkable accomplishments and great successes. By 1946 he was working on a mural for the Santa Fe Railroad, but became quite ill during the process. He saw the work to completion, but died less than a month later.
Remington encouraged young Dixon to seek out a formal education at the San Francisco School of Design. He entered into studies at the school, but soon found its rigid course work and curriculum not to his liking. After leaving the school he found full time work as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines in the city.
The young artist began to feel doubtful about the direction of his work, and taking the advice of his mentor, he returned to nature to regain a better sense of his personal and artistic vision. He headed east, into the American West which was still sparsely populated in many areas with remaining clusters of Native Americans. During this time he worked as a cowboy, traveling through Arizona, New Mexico and southern California, all the while sketching and painting, before heading back to San Francisco.
He again picked up work as an illustrator, sketching crime scenes and depictions for feature stories. Over time he regained his confidence, and found his first recognition when the “Land of Sunshine” magazine published his work in 1898.
After this he once again decided to explore the world around him, and took a horseback journey into the Northwest of the country. He was gone for several months, and returned with a portfolio of work that was soon purchased by Harper’s magazine.
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed Dixon’s studio and required him to relocate to New York where he continued illustrating, but soon grew weary of the city life and headed back to his San Francisco roots. By this time he knew he wanted to focus on his easel painting and he began working to make this possible. Whenever time allowed he would head to his Tucson, Arizona studio to paint the landscapes and people he so loved.
By the 1920s he had developed a unique style, relying on dramatic color to depict the landscapes of the West. This unique palette and method became his hallmark, and he began to acquire an international following.
During the years of the Great Depression he was commissioned to do several murals, which were remarkable accomplishments and great successes. By 1946 he was working on a mural for the Santa Fe Railroad, but became quite ill during the process. He saw the work to completion, but died less than a month later.
