The Santa Fe Railroad first enticed Edgar Payne to the Southwest by commissioning his paintings to be used as advertisement for the railroad.  Payne explored the Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly and Northern New Mexico.    He would make painting excursions sometimes for weeks or months at a time in search of remote locations. There his palette exploded with the warm earth tones found in nature.  Often the Indian travelers are depicted on horseback from a distance in dramatic contrast to the massive canyons. But in Navajos Waiting Payne brings us an intimate look at the people themselves.

It was 1916 when Payne first discovered the Southwest.  The Western landscapes depicting the Arizona mesas with Native American Indian riders are one of the most desirable subject matter that Payne created.  He revisited this theme and returned to paint this glorious country throughout his career thus, leaving a legacy of Western paintings that are rightfully recognized throughout the world.

Payne exhibited two Southwestern paintings as early as 1917 in the annual exhibition of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Payne was passionate about becoming a painter from the age of fourteen and maintained his enthusiasm for painting throughout his life.  He left home in the Ozarks of Missouri and travelled the South and into Mexico before going to Chicago and studying briefly at the Art Institute of Chicago.  A strong individualist Payne was not satisfied with the teaching methods and left Chicago to continue his travels throughout the United States.  He soon became one of California's most revered painters.

As one of the best known artists of his time, the demand for Edgar Payne's work particularly those with horses and riders, remains very strong. Currently a major museum exhibition and book Edgar Payne: the Scenic Journey is being well received at the Pasadena Museum of California Art in Pasadena, California.  The show will travel to three venues and will next be at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa Oklahoma.