Well-known Historical Western artist Shannon Stirnweis was born in Portland, Oregon in 1931.  He completed his education with five years at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.  After graduation, he served two army years as an illustrator in Germany.  This allowed him the opportunity to visit European museums to see and study their paintings.  He did covers for virtually all the New York paperback publishers and illustrated over thirty children's books.  After serving two years as President of the Society of Illustrators in New York, he followed the lead of many former illustrators and entered the field of gallery painting.  The discipline and systematic research skills developed as an illustrator serve him well when combined with a love of western subjects.