Wayne Snyder - Biography

Wayne on location

In his youngest years, Montana native Wayne Snyder lived near his great-grandparents' homestead ranch in Lolo, MT along the famous Lewis and Clark trail. These years in Montana made a lasting impression on him. He has always loved the outdoors, the majesty of mountains, grandeur of wide open spaces . . . . and the American West.

Wayne graduated from the Art Center College of Design (now located in Pasadena, California) with a B.F.A. degree in Illustration and Advertising Design. His instructors at Art Center included such renowned designers, illustrators and artists as -- Jayme Odgers, Don Weller, Ken Ottinger, Joseph Henninger, Jack Leynnwood, Paul Souza, Glen Villipu, Harry Carmean, and others.

He has been a full-time professional artist for over thirty years, working first as a freelance illustrator/designer, then into the Fine Arts with his drawings and paintings. As a sideline to his own work, Wayne was an instructor at the San Francisco Academy of Art where he was highly regarded by his students and the school. During his career as a free-lance illustrator, his work was chosen and utilized by an impressive list of clientele including companies such as Hewlett Packard, Peterbuilt Trucks, Wells Fargo Bank, Standard Oil Company of California, and many others including major advertising agencies and publishers. In between illustration assignments, Wayne pursued work on his own paintings.

Although Wayne's art has been greatly involved with landscapes and western themes, he has also done portraits and as you will notice, many other subjects as well. He is an artist who strongly believes in not limiting his art to a single niche. Several of his paintings hang in the Air Force permanent art collection in Washington, D.C. Wayne works in many mediums, but primarily in oil and watercolor.

In addition to working in his studio, time and weather permitting, Wayne can be found outdoors painting on location (Plein air). He also travels with sketch book and camera, gathering ideas and information for future works. Wayne now primarily shows his work in his own studio/gallery, but also in other galleries or shows when worthwhile opportunities arise. He is an artist whose work has not only been his living and career, but very much connected to who he is as a person. As with some other professional artists, his life and efforts put into his work, run contrary to idea of some in society that art is a 'hobby' or is not 'real' work. Among other things he believes about art, he feels the driving desire to produce always better pieces is a never ending goal, and comes with the territory when an artist is serious about his/her work. He finds great satisfaction when his art gives something positive to the lives of others.

With his wife Carolyn, Wayne currently lives and works on a private island in the Puget Sound of Washington state.