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Wayne Tiffany
Wayne Tiffany (1918 - 2008) was a Californian artist active from the mid 1950's until his death in 2008.

Family and Childhood
Wayne Tiffany was born in Vermont in 1918 to Guy Alrich Tiffany and [mother] Tiffany. One of five children, he worked as a newspaper boy to help his mother, who was a schoolteacher. The family moved to Meadville in Northern Pennsylvania when Wayne was nine, where he would continue to live throughout his teenage and young adult years. As the middle of five children, Wayne expressed a markedly stronger interest in the arts than his brother, who made a career of the military, or his sisters, who pursued nursing and medical professions. After graduating high school, Wayne spent hours a day on foot, soliciting manufacturing plants for a job. He eventually found one at Meadville Malleable Iron Company, where he would continue to work for over twenty years.

Wayne had been working at the iron company for almost fifteen years when Elle, his future wife, was hired as a secretary upon graduating as the valedictorian of her high school. Despite an age gap of almost eleven years, the two felt a strong connection and married a year and a half later. At the time, employee benefit programs were uncommon and the pay at the company was not enough to support a newlywed couple looking to begin a life together. Wayne decided to take the Civil Service Test in order to apply for a job with the Postal Service, whose employee benefits and retirement plans were a strong incentive. This career change coincided with a glut of returning veterans, who were all given extra points on their civil service exams for their military service. Despite the handicap, Wayne scored very well and was accepted into a position as a postman in Meadville, at 39 years old. The job was a grueling one, which consisted of walking routes in one of the coldest and harshest winters the region had ever seen [cite article].

Moving West
Shortly after Wayne began his new career, Elle's sister's husband (a postman in Whittier, CA) notified the Tiffanys that there was an opening in their jurisdiction. The appeal of the finer weather and overall environment convinced the couple to apply for a transfer barely three months into Wayne's job. To their surprise, it was granted and the couple moved to Whittier in the summer of 1958.

Wayne began to paint much more in California, finding inspiration in the landscape and flora of Southern California. Another generous benefit of a career with the Postal Service was ample vacation time to explore the United States and the world. The Tiffanys would spend their vacations exploring vistas, seascapes, landscapes, and everything in between, with cameras and sketchbooks in tow. These photographs would allow Wayne to recreate the image onto a canvas, and permitted them to travel more extensively without having to bring painting supplies.

A thriving art culture in Southern California helped Wayne to constantly pursue his artistic interest. As a member of the Whittier and La Habra Art Associations, he participated in most annual art fairs, and spent much time interacting with local artists, working with them and socializing. He would occasionally sell pieces at fairs, one seascape fetched $100 in [1960s?], a respectable price at the time [cite interview].

Wayne continued working and painting until he died.

Education and Artistic Development
Wayne attended some college [where?], but found it did not suit him and decided to build a career and pursue his artistic interests on his own. His first interest was in the field of puppetry [cite article], but sought a medium more involved in creation, and pursued photography next. Photography too, in turn, proved not to be his passion and he began to take drawing lessons. These lessons eventually led into painting, and "[that] was it" [cite article]. Wayne found the environment of Southern California immensely stimulating, and much of his artistic output consists of sea and waterscapes done at various points along the California coastline. Wayne's skills as a photographer would be a boon to him once he and Elle could afford taking long, annual vacations. It was these vacations that provided Wayne an opportunity to hone his ability to capture an image in order to recreate it later. Though photography was not his main or favored medium, his high level of skill with the craft enabled him to in turn focus on bettering his painting ability. Perspective was a strong point of his, and he would use it to effect in some of his work [cite interview].

Waynes formal training was limited, but included several semesters of sculpting at the Whittier Adult Center [cite article].

Notable Work

 * Stone Castle Staircase
 * Red Boat
 * Road in Ireland
 * Frozen Pier
 * Golden Cupola

Career History
During his life, Wayne did not spend much time at all marketing his work. He gave many paintings away to friends, family, and colleagues. He would occasionally sell some work at art fairs, but this was done on an informal basis and likely without records

Prominent Gallery Featurings

 * Main Whitter Post Office