Joyce Lee (Montana, 1950-2011), "Forgotten Lesson", oil on canvas, signed lower left

sight: 24 x 30 in., frame: 31 x 36 in. 

Provenance: Property from a ranch near Georgetown, Texas; purchased from Claggett/Rey Gallery in 1999 (lot includes certificate of authenticity from the gallery)

Joyce Lee developed her artistic skills from an early age, drawing inspiration from artists Orren Mixer and C. W. Anderson, and further refined her abilities through workshops with Matt Smith and Ned Jacob. In 1981, she studied at Eastern Montana College under Ben Steele, an experience that helped polish her talents and launch her professional art career. Her firsthand experience working on a cattle ranch, riding and working alongside cowhands, strongly informed her Western art, giving her paintings of ranch life, horses, cattle, and landscapes an authenticity rooted in lived experience. Lee exhibited in several solo Western art gallery shows as well as prominent exhibitions including the C. M. Russell Auction in Great Falls, the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in Cody, the Cowgirl Up Annual Show and Sale in Wickenburg, and the Coors National Western Show in Denver, with her paintings held in collections throughout the United States.