The Artist

Artist Profile

	Les McDonald, Jr. Les believes that nature presents us with a never-ending source of memorable images. He captures these moments and freezes them in time. The art of Les McDonald, Jr. has quickly become well known all around the nation. Les has lived in Houston, Texas since 1967. He grew up on the Texas gulf coast, where he was surrounded by wildlife. With a BS degree in Commercial Art from Sam Houston State College in Huntsville, Texas, Les worked in advertising for nineteen years. In 1986, Les became a full-time artist working in his favorite medium, watercolor.
His subjects range from wildlife, landscapes, seascapes, to a wide variety of sporting art subjects. Numerous corporate clients and private individuals have contracted Les to paint personal commissions. Many of his clients have said, I can tell you have been there, referring to the accuracy of the subject matter he paints. His attention to detail has been one of the things he has become to be known for. His wife says that Les sees things through a different set of eyes than most people, that Les sees the details of nature as well as the whole scene. Les started painting when he was in the sixth grade. After coming in from hunting one day, he sat down and started sketching a duck. After getting more interested in art, he started painting. He started entering little competitions in the shopping mall in Port Lavaca, Texas and in the county fair. To his surprise, he started winning many of the competitions. His destiny was set. He has traveled from Mexico to Alaska in his search for subjects to capture.
Les started getting his recognition as a big supporter of many of the charities and conservation organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited, Coastal Conservation Organization, Quail Unlimited and Waterfowl U.S.A, and many others. He was the Texas Ducks Unlimited Sponsor Print Artist in 1992-‘93 where his Forgotten Pond print sold out in eleven months. Les has won many awards in the last several years. He was Artist of the Year for Waterfowl U.S.A. in 1990, 1991 and 1996 and the Sponsor Print artist in 1998. Les shows in numerous galleries. He has exhibited with many of the nations top artists in national wildlife art shows all over the country. Some of these include the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, The National Wildlife Art Show in Kansas City, The Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, South Carolina, Nature works in Tulsa and the Florida Wildlife Expo in Orlando, Florida.
For Les, there is nothing more important than being in the great outdoors. It’s the inspiration that generates his desire to paint. Les can be reached at his studio in Houston. 2623 Stoney Brook Drive, Houston, Texas 77063 phone: (713) 977-4729 fax: (713) 977-7700