About Curtis Dall

Born and raised in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, Curtis attended Abraham Lincoln High School, Council Bluffs, graduating in 1961. During his senior year, Curtis was Art Club president and Team Leader for various school projects: i.e. backdrop scenery for the school plays and art work for the 1961 Class yearbook. Curtis also received Gold Key awards at State competition in Des Moines. 

After graduation, Curtis entered the U.S. Navy serving at sea in the Far East. Some ports-of-call included Japan, Okinawa, Hawaii, Philippines, Australia, Vietnam, Panama, Gold Coast of Africa, and the Mediterranean….Hong Kong being one of his favorites. There, when time allowed, Curtis took pictures and quick sketches of the Hong Kong harbor life which he later used as reference to the many oil paintings he completed while serving aboard his ship at sea.

After his overseas duty ended, Curtis was ordered to recruiting duty in Los Angeles, then later in Phoenix, AZ. While in recruiting duty, along with his normal duties, his artistic talent was utilized as a staff artist for the Headquarters command in Los Angeles. He designed everything from bumper stickers, greeting cards to recruiting posters.

Mostly self-taught, Curtis found time during his naval career to attend art work shops on the East Coast and in Los Angeles. While stationed in Los Angeles, he and fellow artists exhibited their work at the Hollywood Bowl and at La Cienega’s Restaurant Row.

His artistic interests have ranged from naval scenes (masted ships to modern ships at sea, and naval aviation scenes) exotic landscapes and seacapes, portraiture and still life to currently painting American landscapes, Western Art themes and Wildlife paintings in oil & pastel.