California plein-aire painter Tim Solliday won his first art competition at the age of 14 and knew he wanted to paint for his career. He attended a city college in the Long Beach area but soon dropped out having been disappointed with the art courses.

He went to work as a sign painter and learned the principles of art. When he left the sign company he painted on his own and supplemented his income by creating posters, doing book illustrations and doing artwork for the film industry.

Solliday studied for six years with Theodore Lukits at the Lukits Academy of Fine Art. Solliday began selling his work at local art shows and has since found a national following.

Solliday works from a studio in Alhambra, California once inh...