Forrest Kirkland, my grandfather, made his living as an illustrator in Dallas, Texas from about 1922 - 1945. Although his bread and butter was retouching photos of machinery, he did various illustrations for many different publications and companies of the region.

Forrest in his studio

Texas landscape, c 1925, oil on c1922


Texas landscape c 1925, oil on cardboard, 8" x 10"
click for larger versions of his paintings.
As a hobby he started sketching the cave paintings around Texas and New Mexico areas on family outings. He believed that the existing Indian art works were being vandalized rapidly and so started a campaign to at least make copies for posteriety. He went out frequently even with two small children and his wife, Sadie (Hollaway). Often he would have to stand up to his chest in water to be able to observe the paintings inside of the caves. He also was a member of a Dallas poetry society and an active member in the Dallas arts community in various capacities.
roy.violetpt.jpg
Forrest's son, Roy, and daughter, Violet, painting about 1922
rattlesnake1sm.jpg
Panther Cave, Seminole Canyon
on the lower Pecos river, Texas.
Copied July 10, 1937. Original drawn to scale 1/4" to 1',
Courtesy of the Texas Memorial Museum, accession 2261

A book of his scale drawn watercolors of Southwest Indian paintings was first reproduced by the University of Texas Press in 1967 and recently been reprinted. Since most of the information was provided by his second wife, there are a few inaccuracies. One major flaw in the book was, unfortunately, the unacknowledged first wife and two children, Violet and Roy Kirkland.

See more of his history at the University of Texas Museum
To order of copy of the book see The University of Texas Press

Forrest with his father, Warren Kirkland,
grandmother, Nancy J. (Roney),
wife of Elijha Kirkland, a Civil War
Veteran and Violet Kirkland, my mother.

See his life with Sadie | Forward to Indian Petroglyphs | Forward to Forrest's Paintings


Return to Elroy's Family Index || Ancestoral Chart #1


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All information and photos included within these pages was developed by the help of hundreds of researchers. The information here is for the express purpose of personal genealogical research and is freely offered as long as this site is listed as a source. It may not be included or used for any commercial purpose or included in any commercial site without the express permission of Elroy Christenson. Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2007.

web pages created by Elroy Christenson- echriste@sccd.ctc.edu - last updated 2/10/07