George Carlson
(b.1940) George Carlson creates two-dimensional and three-dimensional art saying, "Both are necessary to the perfection of my art. I really believe in learning the basics of your craft, which for an artist is drawing.Initially I started sculpting because I thought it would help my drawing. I grew convinced that if I knew what the other side of a man's head looked like, I could draw him better. Sculpture is drawing from all possible angles and you have to know how to draw well before you can sculpt completely." Carlson was born in Elmhurst, Illinois on July 3, 1940. At an early age his parents recognized his talent for drawing and encouraged its development. After graduating from high school he studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Carlson has won numerous awards for both his sculpture and his painting, including the Prix de West and several Gold Medals from the National Academy of Western Art in Oklahoma City. He has also had several important solo exhibitions, including an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution and major retrospective at the Indianapolis Museum of Fine Art. George Carlson currently lives in Northern Idaho were he continues to work.
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