Born in California and raised by missionary parents, Ian spent some of his formative years in the Black Forest of Germany. Because of the proximity to France, Italy, and Switzerland (which they visited often) and their galleries and museums, Ian fell in love with Renaissance and Baroque-styled artists. With that influence, you’ll see in his work the appreciation of narrative and an endeavor towards realistic subjects.

In the same vein of influence, Ian was also enamored by the American West. From his grandfather’s love of the Yellowstone, to watching John Wayne movies growing up, something about the grit spoke to this young boy. His mother can recount numerous occasions of a 4-year-old Ian asking her to draw a cowboy for him; she often encouraged him to try drawing one himself, until he finally did. It was at that moment, a young artist began to curate his lifelong passion.

As Ian began his professional career in software sales, that love for the West burned out into faint embers; no heat, but still very much so alive. After a few years in tech and the intense burnout that comes with it, Ian sought reprieve by escaping to Wyoming where he journeyed from corporate to cowboy. The embers were fanned back into flames when he started selling his artwork out of necessity in order to pay his bills.

Today, Ian resides in Lebanon, Indiana after having lived in Austin, TX, Wyoming, and Nashville, TN. He has a beautiful son that he hopes one day is as inspired by the American West as he is.