Joe Duncan Gleason was a native of California, born in Watsonville, in 1881. Duncan Gleason was known for his California and Mexico landscape oils and marine paintings of the California coast including scenes of San Pedro Harbor, Balboa Island, Avalon Bay. Duncan Gleason also wrote and illustrated several books on California maritime history and worked for the scenic art department at Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Warner Brothers studios.

Duncan Gleason was raised in Los Angeles, California, and was working for the Union Engraving Company when he was only fourteen years old. Gleason was skilled at drawing and sketching and took his first art training at the University of Southern California as a pupil of Lees Judson. Duncan Gleason then moved north to San Francisco to attend the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art. While going to school Joe worked for the Sunset Engraving Company as a commercial artist.

Duncan Gleason studied in Chicago at the Art Institute of Chicago and from 1900 to 1901, took lessons from Frank DuMond at the Art Students League in New York City. Gleason supported himself as a commercial artist.

Joe Duncan Gleason stayed in New York for ten years before returning to Los Angeles, California in 1910. Duncan exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (1924), the Arizona State Fair (1932), the California Palace of the Legion of Honor (1945) and the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939). Duncan Gleason painted murals in the Hotel Clark and for Gardena High School (Los Angeles).

When Duncan Gleason wasn't pursuing a career in art, Gleason was training as a championship gymnast. Duncan won the International Championships eleven times on the Rings. Gleason was also an author and illustrator of two books he wrote about the California coast. Later in life Duncan Gleason worked for the MGM and Warner Brothers Studios in Los Angeles. .

Duncan Gleason biographical information been provided by Edan Hughes.

Source:

http://joeduncangleason.com/