John Paul Strain (born September 22, 1955) is an American artist specializing in art depicting American history. He creates hyper-realistic paintings of patriotic historical scenes, such as the American West, Civil War and D-Day, that are exhibited or used by institutions such as the US military, US Park Service and others. He has been compared as inheriting the mantle of 19th-century print makers such as Currier & Ives and Louis Prang. Biography and career For the first 15 years of his career he painted numerous original oil paintings of the American West. From the age of 21, Strain's paintings of landscapes, wild life paintings, and depictions of Indian life were represented by Trailside Galleries. Strain began painting scenes from the American Civil War in 1991. These Civil War historical paintings are larger and have more detail than his western paintings. According to Strain, each painting is meticulously researched and painted with such detail (Strain often wears a jeweler's magnifying glass and uses a two to three haired brush to paint most of the composition's intricacies), that one painting may require more than three months to create. Strain participates in Civil War reenactments. "I have been reenacting for many years. Currently, I am Captain of the 7th Texas Calvary. My unit has about 20 mounted cavalry men, and we participate in Civil War reenactments throughout the southwest. Working with men, horses, and equipment gives me insight into what life was like back in the 1860s. I know from experience how horse equipment should look when in use, or how a seasoned horseman carries himself in the saddle. I feel it really helps my art." -John Paul Strain. Other historical paintings by John Paul Strain include Spirit of Discovery, a rendition of the Lewis and Clark expedition, as well as three World War II representations: Bastogne, Omaha Beach, and Utah Beach. More recently, Mr. Strain has composed three individual "Paintings of Paradise": Celarian Light House, Punta Sur Park Natural Reserve; Evening on the Plaza, Downtown San Miguel; and The Monument to Divers, Coast Road San Miguel. Inspired by his favorite vacation destination, Strain represents historical landmarks in the Caribbean island of Cozumel, Mexico. Awards, honors, holdings and exhibitions Author John J. Dwyer said that Strain "is roundly regarded as one of the greatest painters, living or deceased, of American historical art." Reproductions of Strain's paintings have won the PICA Awards (Printing Industry