Jeff Segler Gallery
Jeff Segler Bio
JW Segler, western painter from Santa Fe, New Mexico captures the world of cowboys
and indians in the grand landscapes of the American West. JW finds inspiration i
the past and in the present, painting images out of the Old West as well as contemporary
characters.
JW's initial inspiration as a western painter came from working as a cowboy for
five years on a large ranch in northern New Mexico. For several years, he worked
in a living history program at the Philmont Ranch in New Mexico teaching kids about the history of the cattle business and life in the Old West.
These experiences provided years of ideas for new paintings. JW is always seeking
out new material as he travels throughout the southwest, but he is still working
through the vast imagery and sketches he produced years ago as a cowboy.
In 1981 JW was invited to several shows around Texas and New Mexico where his painting
s were received with great enthusiasm. He was also courted by several galleries,
Pruitt Place Galleries in Fort Worth and Williams Gallery in Santa Fe who began
showing his work. His career as a western painter was off to a fast start. Despite
good sales, it was not easy to make a comfortable living as an artist. One thing
led to another and JW slowly began to leave his art behind. He had the opportunity
to start several businesses over the next few years, some more successful than others.
In 1999 he sold his interest in a flourishing software venture in Seattle and eventually
came back to Santa Fe where he began to rekindle his art career. "I lost a lot of
ground over that time, in one way it's kind of a shame, but it is good to be back,
and I am who I am today because of that experience too" said JW. Recently, he opened
a studio on Old Santa Fe Trail in Santa Fe and is now painting full time.