Biography for Victor Blakey

A degree in fine art from Texas State University and a decade studying portraiture, with two renowned portrait artists, provides Victor with a wide range of skills. He was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Savannah School of Art and Design, but chose to attend a university in Texas instead. Victor is a certified art teacher and has taught for 12 years in the Dallas School System before becoming a fulltime artist.
He started drawing and sketching his surroundings and the animals that lived there at a very young age. Victor grew up on Lake Conroe in Southeast Texas. Fishing was the number one past time. Quietly easing along the edge of the shore in a Jon boat, he could surprise any number of unsuspecting animals seeking a drink of water in the early hours of the day. It was not unusual to spot a bobcat, a coyote, or a timid fox. The tall grass and weeds were the habitat to a menagerie of deer and smaller animals. The woods around the lake were thick and lush. Pine trees were like towers stretching upward to the cloudless sky. The quite nights were often interrupted by howls of wolves and coyotes. Being so far from city life, the skies were filled with hawks, geese, and ducks. Otters sunned themselves on floating logs and turtles competed with Water Moccasins for any sunny spot available. Victor attempted to draw all of them.
In recent years, he has relied on a diverse group of wildlife from The Big Thicket in southeast Texas to the Big Bend in west Texas. Also, in his search for the perfect animal for his canvas, he has available a treasure trove in the Exotic Resort Zoos in Texas, sanctuaries in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Colorado. There are the various ranches, pastures, and prairies, that are peppered with cattle and horses. The Old West comes to life in Fort Worth twice-daily as genuine Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns down Exchange Ave. Every detail of the cattle drive, from the saddles and chaps to the boots and hats is authentic and historically true. This event is an unending source of motivation.
Victor also recognizes the rich history of Native Americans and their influence on our past and present culture and is a continuous inspiration for many paintings. He pours through infinite images in books, magazines and the web. He found his specialty for realism while painting portraits of children. Oil has been his persistent choice of medium and he is a member of Oil Painters of America.
Victor is a proud member of the Dallas Safari Club. Living in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area gives him access to the internationally renowned Kimbell Art Museum in Ft. Worth and the Dallas Museum of Art in down town Dallas. Frequent visits to these museums enrich his knowledge and expand the potential for future inspiration. Victor is able to study the techniques and methods used by the old masters in art history. He seeks to capture the ambiance and the atmosphere in each painting. Victor mixes impressionism with a heavy dose of realism that produces a life like image of his subjects. His work is always evolving and growing.

Portfolio: