Grant Besley is a retired airline pilot and psychologist who was inspired by the death of his best friend to memorialize his friend in bronze. That led to studying with the Warehouse Gang led by Evergreen, Colorado sculptor Tom Ware. He met Laura Mehmert in those sessions and she patiently taught him watercolor and oil painting and asked him to help her with a sculpture she was commissioned to do called “The Foreman”.
Grant studied with Charles Reid in Italy, Josh Falik at the Denver Art Students League, and painter/sculptor Andi Mascarenas. The watercolor “I am Woman” on the home page won Best Watercolor in the 2001 Arts Alive Show in the Denver area. Grant’s watercolor of a Big Horn Sheep was chosen for a national wildlife calendar.
Grant and Joan recently moved to the artist Mecca of Taos, New Mexico where they continue to paint, sculpt, and study art. Grant was accepted into the Taos Society of Portrait Artists.
He grew up in Fort Scott, Kansas, moved to Joliet, Illinois and attended the University of Illinois and Northwestern University. Grant was based in New York, Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles with United Airlines. His last seven years he flew as Captain on the 747-400 to Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Tokyo and served as a Check Pilot in United’s Training Center in Denver, Colorado.
Grant Besley
Sagebrush Studios
PO Box 139
Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico 87557-0139
Phone: 575-770-5961
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