Uninhabited - Standish Backus

Standish Backus, 1940

Standish Backus, Jr. (1910-1989) Born: Detroit, MI; Sudied: Princeton University, University of Munich (Germany); Member: American Watercolor Society, California Water Color Society. Standish Backus, Jr. grew up in Michigan and first started painting with watercolors while studying architecture at Princeton University. He continued his art education in Europe and then settled in Santa Barbara. For a brief period in the mid-1930s, he took further instruction in watercolor painting from Eliot O‚ Hara and then opened a studio and painted full time.

Backus served as an official war artist during World War II and produced watercolors depicting naval battles. He also taught art, produced murals and served as the official naval artist for Admiral Byrd‚ 1955 Antarctic expedition.

Biography courtesy of Californiawatercolor.com