Stan Joel Strickland was born in south Georgia. He learned printing as a child and went on to work as a newspaperman, machinist, and air traffic controller. After four years in the Air Force, he attended the University of Tulsa, where he studied fine and professional arts. Strickland has been named Georgia’s Artist of Excellence and was awarded an honorary professorship at Georgia College & State University. He is best known for his series “Speaking Highly of the South,” a portrayal of the Old South during the Civil War. He works out of his studio in historic Milledgeville, Georgia.