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Clancy Cherry - Wildlife Artist Born January 27, 1921 in Breckenridge, Texas as Margie Colleen Clancy, she drew and painted her entire life and studied art at the University of Texas in Austin for two years. However, she didn’t seriously pursue art professionally until she was 50 years old. Her early works were signed with the last name of her first husband, Kralicek. When she remarried and became Margie Clancy Cherry, she chose to use her maiden name, Clancy, as her first name and as her sole name professionally.

Over the years, Clancy made many photographic safaris to Africa, India, Costa Rica & Indonesia. Her photographs were her inspiration as a wildlife artist. During this period, she became good friends with Joy Adamson (Born Free) in Africa. She also got to know a number of wildlife preserve owners, most notably actors Tippi Hedron, Amanda Blake and James Brolin.

She created the tapestry technique described in Wildlife Art in 2001. Originally, the background was done in squares and eventually went to free form background paintings surrounding a central subject.

However, Clancy is primarily known as a realistic wildlife portrait artist, especially the big cats and painted primarily with acrylics. The bulk of her works were done while living in California and Washington prior to moving to Arizona. She was also extremely prolific having painted well over 2,000 works during her 35 year professional career.

Clancy succumbed to cancer at the age of 88. She died October 17, 2009 in Sun City West, Arizona.

Joy Adamson, a friend and an artist in her own right, called Clancy "The greatest living painter of big cats in the world". Pretty high praise from one who raised and lived with such animals.