Raymond S. Pease (born 1908)
Raymond S. Pease was born in northern Vermont where riding, hunting, and fishing were a way of life for a boy. His early interest was captured by the adventure and romance of the West through reading and trips to his grandfather’s ranch. One of his dearest friends was the Kiowa Indian, Tahan. That he would be an artist of Western subjects seemed evident even then, for as a small boy, his drawings were always of horses, cowboys, and Indians. After finishing high school he drove and camped his way to California and back, quite a feat in those days as there were no paved roads west of Kansas City.
Pease attended Grand Art School, the National Academy of Design and received a B.F.A. degree from Yale University, School of the Fine Arts. Harvey Dunn was one of his most inspiring teachers. He continued his studies at the Ecoles des Beaux Artes and the Academie Julian, as well as with private teachers in Paris, France. As a professional illustrator, Pease’s work has appeared in Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Argosy, Adventure Magazine, and the Saturday Evening Post. He painted many covers for Signet, Pocket-Books, and other paperback books. The Western pulp magazines continued using his illustrations.
Ray illustrated THE HUNTING DOGS OF AMERICA, which was purchased by the Library of Congress and was awarded first place by The Dog Writers Guild of America. Pease’s paintings have been exhibited in the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, the New Haven Paint and Clay Club, and the Southern Vermont Artist. He was a long-time member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists. He was also represented in several of the finest galleries of the West and New York City. Many of his paintings have been purchased by American collectors of Western and animal art.
Information courtesy of Charlton Hall Auctions