Roy Hampton

Roy Hampton (1934-)
"John Wayne"
Watercolor, 1978
LFAC #949

Biography

Roy Hampton was born in 1923 in Los Angeles, California. He lived in the Woodland Hills area for many years and when interviewed, volunteered that he rode his horse to school. During World War II he was in the Submarine Service at Pearl Harbor. After World War II he worked for the Walt Disney studio in the animation department for about one year. During this time the studio provided three life drawing classes a week plus three evenings of class after work for their staff. Hampton developed his interest in art in later life after having careers as a real estate broker, mortgage banker, and furniture finisher. He is mainly self-taught as an artist. He worked for the Famous Artists Schools for a short period, selling and explaining the course. During this time, he met Norman Rockwell who influenced his art with critiques and commentary. He started being a full-time artist in 1972. His works are typically created in pencil, oil, watercolor, and mixed media.

Hampton’s art works mainly have western themes but he has concentrated especially on portraits of significant figures in western history. Some of his well-known subjects are John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Olaf Wieghorst. Hampton has received awards for his work such as the gold, silver and bronze medals at the George Phippen Memorial Western Invitational Art Show in Prescott, AZ. He has been featured in several western magazines and periodicals. Hampton is the brother of western artist, Bill Hampton.

There are four art works by Roy Hampton in the Fine Arts Collection, all part of the Don Hastings Collection. The portrait of “John Wayne” was commissioned by the city of San Demas, California, in 1978 for the San Demas Western Historical Museum. Hampton created several portraits from the sitting with Wayne including the oil (948) and watercolor (949) in the Fine Arts Collection. He also created a drawing of “Chief Sterling Silver” (950) done in crayon in 1978. The man who posed for this portrait was a Cheyenne Indian named Sterling Silver Hawk. The mixed media drawing, “Indian with Rifle,” (951) was also created in 1978.

Ref: Douglas, Bret. “Roy Hampton: People, Places and Things,” Southwest Art, 11 (August 1981), 64-69; Samuels, Peggy & Harold. Contemporary Western Artists, Washington, D.C.: Judds’ Inc., 1982; Who’s Who in American Art; Fine Arts Collection files.

Roy Hampton (1923-)
"John Wayne"
Oil, 1978
LFAC #949

Roy Hampton (1923-)
"Chief Sterling Silver"
Crayon, 1978
LFAC #949

Roy Hampton (1923-)
"Indian with Rifle"
Mixed, ca. 1978
LFAC #951

Updated 11/19/2007