Nat Youngblood, Pennsylvania, Indiana (1916 - 2009), Rain Dance, watercolor on paper, 21 1/2"H x 29 1/4"W(sight), 32 1/2"H x 40 1/2"W(frame)

Nat Youngblood Pennsylvania, Indiana (1916 - 2009) Rain Dance watercolor on paper Signed lower left. Colorado Historical Society label verso. Biography from the Archives of askART: Nat H. Youngblood, 92, of West Middletown, Pa., and formerly of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Evansville, Ind., died Friday morning, December 18, 2009, in his home. He was born December 28, 1916, in Evansville, a son of the late Nat Howard and Geraldine (Pote) Youngblood. In his youth, Mr. Youngblood obtained the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind., and was inspired at the University of New Mexico in the fine arts, creative writing and archaeology. He also attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Mr. Youngbood was awarded a scholarship to attend the Harwood Foundation in Taos, N.M. During World War II, Mr. Youngblood served with the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army in the European Theater and was awarded a Purple Heart. Following his education and service to his country, he submitted his combat sketches to E.W. Scripps Co. newspaper offices and was hired by Editor E. T. Leech as an artist for the Pittsburgh Press. In 1963, he was appointed the Art Director of the Pittsburgh Press. Over the next 30 years, Mr. Youngblood produced an estimated 400 color paintings and illustrations for the Pittsburgh Press' Roto and Family Magazine sections of the newspaper. In 1961, on assignment from Metro Group Syndicate in New York, President-elect John F. Kennedy agreed to have Mr. Youngblood ride with him on his personal airplane to Florida. Of all of his assignments to produce portraits of national and international figures, the Kennedy experience was the most exciting. The artist included action sketches of the president-elect as part of his assignment. In 1976, on his own initiative, Mr. Youngblood proposed the idea of producing 10 major oil paintings titled The American Pioneer depicting the life of Pittsburgh citizens in 1776 for the National Bicentennial Celebration. The Pittsburgh Press allowed him a leave of absence and donated the 10 4-feet-by-5-feet paintings to the permanent collection of the Fort Pitt Museum at Point Park, Pittsburgh, Pa. In 1980, Mr. Youngblood retired from the Pittsburgh Press. He established a studio in West Middletown, Pa., to further his career and turned his attention to the interests of his youth, Native American art. In 1981, Mr. Youngblood and his wife, Sandra, began on an extensive tour of the American Southwest. They took with them ideas and paintings he had produced the year before. He was represented by galleries in Santa Fe, N.M. and Scottsdale, Ariz., where he hosted several one-man shows. Mr. Youngblood also participated in the Artist of America International Show in Denver for 14 years. Mr. Youngblood has been active with numerous national exhibits, and his work has been acquired by museums and countless collectors across the country. He produced hundreds of paintings of the city of Pittsburgh, western Pennsylvania and the American Southwest. In the early 1950s, Mr. Youngblood was a founding member of the Christian organization, the Pittsburgh Experiment. He was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper Saint Clair and taught Sunday school at the Grove United Presbyterian Church in West Middletown. Source: Obituary. Evansville Courier Press (December 20, 2009) 21 1/2"H x 29 1/4"W(sight), 32 1/2"H x 40 1/2"W(frame)