Oregon artist Jim Daly paints to evoke memories of childhood and to capture images of an ideal life. Daly uses props from the early part of the 20th century up until World War II to date his nostalgic paintings. "What I am really working toward is a look that evokes a memory from my viewers," he says. "In fact, the greatest praise I receive is getting letters from people who tell me that my children remind them of their own kids or grand kids."

Daly began his interest in art at a young age painting in watercolors. He later turned his focus to boxing and found some success during a stint in the army when he won all 18 of his amateur matches. Rather than extend his enlistment and fight in the all-Army championship, he left the army and ended his boxing career.

Jim Daly then enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles and took a full-time position at Rocketdyne, a division of North American Rockwell. Immediate interest in his paintings led him to leave Rocketdyne and devote himself to his art full time. He exhibited at Wyoming's Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Sale and the Northwest Rendezvous of Art in Montana. Daly also began teaching at the Scottsdale Artists' School.

Daly's work has been published as limited edition prints and reproduced as figurines and greeting cards. He has recently begun landscape painting and in 2001 won the People's Choice Award at the Northwest Rendezvous.

Source: Art of the West Magazine, July/August 2002