Artsellers Willis

Wayne Willis

M. Wayne Willis drew his strength from nature, and that strength is reflected in his work. His remarkable aptitude for painting stemmed from his desire to recapture his experiences in the field for he was always an ardent sportsman and conservationist. His oil paintings portray a vividness and realism that anyone familiar with the outdoors can recognize and relate to. Wayne was born in eastern Kansas and also spent a part of his youth in Virginia and Maryland. In both regions of the country he spent much of his time hunting, fishing, and learning the sportsman’s appreciation of nature and "wild" places. His paintings take you to the backwoods and the back roads, to familiar waterholes, across spring-fed creeks and past abandoned farm buildings reminiscent of an earlier era.

For over 60 years, Wayne has captured on paper, on canvas and in wood every movement and nuance of waterfowl and upland game birds. Ranked among the top U.S. wildlife artists and known for his adroit rendering of background scenes from his prairie and Midwest experience, he is considered by many to be the country’s premiere quail painter.