ABOUT THE ARTIST
Craig Pursley started early in art, obtaining professional commissions at 14. He was chosen as Nebraska’s Outstanding Young Artist at 17 and the following year completed a large mural, which is still displayed in his high school. While in college he worked as a composite artist for several law enforcement agencies including the FBI and continued doing so after becoming an art teacher in Colorado.
In 1983, Pursley moved to California where he began work as an illustrator for a major newspaper. During this time, he also achieved considerable notoriety as a sports artist for the California Angels, Topps Baseball Card Co., and Upper Deck Baseball Card Co. In 2002, Pursley and his wife, Julie, moved to New Hampshire where he paints the beauty of New England in addition to running the American Heritage Gallery of
Art in the village of Bath. He is a member of the The Portrait Society of America (who chose his portfolio as one of the top five in 2015), and Oil Painters of America (where he recently won second place in a national competition).
His work has been featured in International Artist and its sister publication American Art Collector, and can be seen in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Saint-gaudens National Historic Site and The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. His paintings are also in private collections from coast to coast and in Europe. He has won many national awards including two Best of Shows in 2015, and has two portraits on permanent display in the state house in Concord, New Hampshire.