Virtual Art Tour

Buck McCain, American, born 1943

The Entrada

"Although his knack for drawing was recognized early in life, Buck McCain was raised in Southern California ranch country, where cowboy life provided little opportunity to study art," wrote Joe Wade Fine Arts. "He was 16 when he viewed his first oil painting - a Rembrandt - and to this day McCain remembers its powerful impact on him.

In his 20s and between ranch jobs, McCain decided to pursue art on a professional basis. He took many art classes at local schools, then devoted a year in Europe to study the old masters’ techniques, earning his way by painting Western scenes with the Alps as background scenery.

McCain is as comfortable working in oil as he is with bronze and clay. Since 1974, he has won numerous awards for his paintings and sculptures. McCain’s artwork is included in numerous private, corporate and museum collections nationwide, including the collections of the cities of Albuquerque and Tucson, Leanin’ Tree Publishing Company and Rex Allen’s Arizona Cowboy Museum, among many others.

McCain feels a passion for color and light that is evident in every oil painting he completes. He most often paints Western landscapes and people, subjects he knows well and loves. His brushwork captures nuances of mood and mystery, and the shimmering magic of light that characterizes Southwestern vistas and skies."