Born:
1915
Iowa

Died:
1966
Skull Valley, Arizona

Biography:
From Prescott and Skull Valley, Arizona, George Phippen, raised on farms in Iowa and Kansas, was a sculptor and painter in representational style of western genre, figures, and horses. He is best remembered for his bronze sculptures such as "Cowboy in a Storm."

When he was serving in World War II, he taught himself to paint and then went to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he worked with artist Henry Balink for several months. At first he worked as an illustrator and commercial artist, doing Christmas cards and calendars, and in 1948 began fine-art painting with oils. According to Don Hedgpeth in his 1972 article for the OS Ranch Committee, Phippen was called " 'The Cowboy's Artist' because his 'cowboys look like men we have known. They aren't handsome but they sure did now cow.' " (Samuels 372).

One of his sculptures, "Wimpy" was commissioned in 1958 by the King Ranch in Texas to commemorate its first registered quarter horse. The work is in the collection of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

He was one of the founders and first president of the Cowboy Artists of America and began his career as a self-taught illustrator. He then established a ranch, studio, and foundry in Skull Valley, and when he died of cancer in 1966. HIs wife then wrote about his career.

Credit: Peggy and Harold Samuels, "The Illustrated Biographical Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West", Peter Falk, "Who Was Who in American Art"