Many Western artists first achieved success during the golden era of magazine and book illustration. To find work, they often had to move from the West to the East. Donald Teague moved in the opposite direction. Unlike many of his contemporaries in the Cowboy Artists of America, Teague became an artist first and a Westerner later. He grew up in New York; decided at an early age to become an artist, and followed an educational track to pursue that career. He studied at the New York Art Students League, and later in London, England.

Yet, both the history and geography of the West exerted a strong pull on Teague. While he was in his early forties, with a successful illustration career already begun, Teague moved to California. It seemed that now that he was closer to the subject matter, art directors for such magazines as the Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s began to assign him the illustrations for Western stories. Teague worked as a top Western illustrator for more than thirty years. In 1958, he decided to devote himself to easel painting on a full-time basis.

Over the course of his fifty-year career, Teague developed into one of the country’s most accomplished watercolorists; a technique he devoted himself to almost exclusively. From the later 1950’s, Teague spent much of his career depicting the historic West, but he continued to paint in locations throughout the world. His subject matter included still-life, interior scenes, landscapes, and seascapes.

Teague was a member of the CAA, the National Academy of Design, the National Academy of Western Art, and the National Watercolor Society. Frequently recognized by his peers, he also won many awards from these organizations. His work is now in the permanent collections of the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana; the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Collections:
Favell Museum of Western Art and Indian Artifacts; National Center for American Western Art; National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum; Phoenix Art Museum