William Jekel biography provided courtesy of “California Watercolors 1850-1970” By Gordon T. McClelland and Jay T. Last.

William Jekel (1927-2000)...Born: Pueblo, CO

Studied: Art Center School (Los Angeles), University of California (Los Angeles)

Member: Nevada Watercolor Society.

William Jekel grew up in Los Angeles and studied art there prior to entering the United States Navy in 1944. He was employed, before and after his naval service, as a scenic artist at M.G.M. Studios. During those years, he frequently joined George Gibson, Emil Kosa, Jr., Duncan Spencer, John Coakley and other film studio artists on location painting trips. Jekel later formed his own scenery production company to supply backdrops for the film and emerging television industries. Jekel's early works depict cityscape scenes of the Los Angeles region, painted in the classic California Style of the late 1930s era. Since the 1960s, his works reveal more carefully rendered watercolors, and often depict rural ranch scenes, landscape views and coastline subjects in California and desert landscapes of Nevada. He was an expert watercolorist and produced most of his paintings while on location.

William Jekel biographical information:

Interview with William Jekel, 1995.