Royce Gilliland was born in Iowa and graduated from the University of Colorado Business School.

In November of 1998, when the oil business came to a stand still he decided to try his hand at sculpture and asked a friend (a well known sculptor) to teach him.  The extent of this renowned artist's instruction was to take Royce to an art supply store.  Then he told him to "Take this clay and wire.  Get some toothpicks, Popsicle sticks, and make something".

This self-taught artist's greatest resource is the world in which he lives.  His passion for hunting and the sportsman's life led him to create the images that reflect his perception of nature.  His ability to see all sides of a 3-dimensional object and his aptitude for maintaining accurate proportion and detail are reflected in his work.

From the original fear "at worst the kids will bring it out of the closet when I go to visit".  Contrast that to the reality of today, a respected artist who's work appears in some of the finest collections in the United States.