Craig Pursley

Artist ~ Illustrator

Born in Nebraska in 1954, Craig began drawing before starting kindergarten. Lacking unlined paper in the house, he would pull out the liners from his parents’ record albums and fill them with fanciful drawings of horses and wildlife.

With the encouragement of his parents, and better paper, Craig continued to grow in ability to the point he was doing freelance work before graduating high school. In 1971 he was chosen as Nebraska’s Outstanding Young Artist. 

After starting at Hastings College, he transferred to and graduated from Colorado State University in 1976 and immediately began teaching art at the middle school level. At the same time, he continued a part-time job he’d begun in college as a police composite artist for several law enforcement agencies including the F.B.I. Craig was credited with playing a pivotal role in the capture of many criminals. 

Also during this time, Craig began to exhibit in galleries in Northern Colorado as well as enter shows where he often won or placed highly, including a Best of Show in a National Art Show in western Nebraska in 1983. 

In 1983, Craig moved to Southern California where he began working for the Orange County Register newspaper as an illustrator, a job held for 23 years. He’s also been involved with several other aspects of art, including working as an artist for the (then) California Angels, Topps Baseball Card Co., and Upper Deck Baseball Card Co. 

His work is owned by many professional athletes and can be seen in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Nolan Ryan Museum, and The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. His paintings are also in private collections from coast to coast.