Markus Pierson was born in 1961 and raised in the town of Grand Ledge, Michigan. He was the youngest and most challenging of four children. While he was a student, an art teacher encouraged Markus' artistic talent, however there was not much of an art scene in Grand Ledge. This led Markus to take on a number of odd jobs, before falling into an accounting profession. In 1985, after a near-fatal bout with Crohn’s Disease he declared that he would be pursuing his dream of becoming a successful artist.

The Coyote Series was created in June of 1986, after Markus heard the Joni Mitchell song, "Coyote." In the song, a guy referred to as "Coyote," is a reckless, footloose Casanova. He aspired to as carefree as the man described in the song; he then made a drawing of a song.

For the next six month Markus painted billboards by day for income, and worked on his coyote art by night in his free time. Within a year, he attendedt the Artexpo in New York City with commitments from 110 art galleries who sought to represent his work.

Pierson’s work has come to include an array of paintings, drawings, sculpture, hand-pulled serigraphs and original found-object works. The metaphor of the Coyote has taken on a more profound purpose; to pursue our dreams, and to celebrate all of life’s ups and downs. He has had nearly one hundred solo exhibitions in galleries across America, Australia and New Zealand, and has also been featured at various prestigious international fairs. Markus has gained quite a following and group of collectors which includes Heads of State, major corporations and celebrities worldwide.