Roy Lee Ward, Texas State Artist 1993,1994

     Roy Lee Ward is a native Texan born in Graford

and spent his early life growing up on a small ranch near Houston.

Roy Lee earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting

and Art History from Baylor University, and after serving his

country in Vietnam, received a Master of Fine Arts degree

with Honors from the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design.

     Roy Lee’s career as a professional artist includes

eight years as a freelance illustrator working for advertising

agencies in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, and Fort Worth.

His cover illustrations for magazines, book jackets, calendars

and movie posters have been seen all across America. He

was selected by the Haas Corporation twenty seven years ago

to illustrate a western calendar for publication that has won

national awards in the advertising market.

     He has been created exclusively studio paintings and murals

since 1978, doing what he enjoys the most, painting the historical

and contemporary American West. In 1994 the State of Texas

honored Roy Lee Ward by proclaiming him "Texas State

Artist" in recognition of his exceptional paintings.