Michael Gnatek, Jr. is nationally recognized for his outstanding historical paintings. Gnatek was born in Hadley, Mass., where he began his artistic career at the age of eleven as a student of landscape artist, Stephen Hamilton. His interest in painting stayed with him and in 1979 he decided to devote the major portion of his time to the fine arts. He chose his mediums as oil painting and pencil and colored pencil; and his subject matter as the West and military history. His original paintings can be found in private collections throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.