Meadowlark Gallery: The Artist Biographies

Jack E. King (1920-1998)

Jack Elmo King was born on December 31, 1920 in Phoenix, Arizona. He went to high school and graduated from Glendale High School in Glendale, California. After high school he received a two year degree from Glendale Community College. His father had to dissolve his home construction business so Jack went to work for Douglas Aircraft in 1941. Jack and Margaret "Bunny" King were married in Los Angeles, California on January 16, 1941. Jack's entry position with Douglas Aircraft was that of a draftsman. Jack and "Bunny" had one son in 1943. He went into the U. S. Navy in April of 1944. After World War II, they bought an acre and a half tract near Redlands, California where Jack built an adobe house. Then after eighteen months, they sold the home so that he could attend the Los Angeles Art Center School. They accepted him on the GI Bill to the Los Angeles Art Center School in 1947 where he attended for two years. After submitting works with his application, the school placed him in the senior class because of his experience. He went to work for the Bendix Corporation as a draftsman. In 1949, he got a job in Dallas, Texas with per diem for a year as a draftsman with the Carter Engineering Group. He did not graduate from college but they were continually promoting him in mechanical engineering positions. They went to Wichita, Kansas where he worked for Olive Beech Aircraft as a draftsman again. At the end of his work day, Jack would then paint until midnight on freelance work for his own enjoyment. The King's moved back to West Covina, California in 1952. He went to work for Aerojet Aerospace Engineering as a draftsman and, or a mechanical/design engineer. He then worked in Tacoma, Washington until 1972. They again came back to California. Then they moved again to Idaho Falls again with Aerojet Aerospace for one year. Jack got sick with an ulcerated colon so they came back to California where he retired in 1970. Painting became a full time occupation after his retirement from Aerojet Aerospace Engineering. In 1980, he was approached to be marketed exclusively through an agent in Canada.

Various awards:

Frank Tenney Johnson Show
Palm Springs, California
First Place, Oil
1979

Ray Everly Award
First Place Oil
1979

He studied with Orrin White of Pasadena, California.

"He loved to paint, and he was happy painting but he always kept working to make them better."
Margaret "Bunny" King.

Jack King died in July of 1998.

Comment:

Strange, unique and distorted would be a few descriptive terms used to describe the market of this artist. This artist was born and raised in the United States. Late in his life he began to market his work. Eventually he was asked and agreed to an exclusive selling agent from Canada. This outlet would not allow any works to be sold other than through them. To this day, no one knows why but the market in the United States as to the specific pricing is not even close to the higher pricing brought in Canada.

View high resolution images of works by Jack E. King when available.