1970s, large oil on canvas studies likely for the artist's Night Bird painting. One with a painted wooden floater frame in blue (DOA 38 3/4 x 51 in.), and the other unframed and signed on recto (DOA 50 x 46 in.).

By Descent of the Family

Don Neiser was a prolific and talented illustrator, working in New York from the 1940s to the 1970s. After high school, he was awarded a full scholarship to a Tennessee art school and then entered the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York. Neiser's work at Pratt caught the eye of Norman Rockwell, who asked Neiser to "teach me how to paint beautiful women."

Neiser provided illustrations for stories or covers of Good Housekeeping, Sports Illustrated, McCall's, Playboy and others. He illustrated advertising campaigns for Smirnoff, Revlon, and Avon. And Neiser provided cover illustrations for paperback books published by Bantam and Signet.

After moving to Florida in the mid-1970s, Neiser moved to Greensboro, North Carolina to be closer to family. But he never stopped painting.

Both artworks have surface grime; unframed artwork has 1 inch tear near moon shape and needs retacking on some edges; framed artwork has some indentations in canvas surface and wear to frame corners/edges.