Sheila Cottrell's western heritage goes back over a hundred years. Her dad was born in Tombstone, Arizona, where her grandfather was a deputy sheriff. Being immersed in the West, her early years were especially influenced by Frank Tenney Johnson's paintings, which were the initial inspiration to paint her own interpretations of the West.

Cowboy Artist of America member James Reynolds has also had a lasting influence on work.

Cottrell's paintings are in several permanent collections, and she exhibits with the National Oil Painters of America, Mountain Oyster Club, and National Arts for the Parks, Tucson Museum of Art, Maynard Dixon Show, Navarro College Museum in Texas, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art. She st...