Brief info
Despite being recognized as equally talented as some of the more famous members of the original group of 26 Florida Highwaymen painters, Willie Daniels has not received as much attention in the literature over the years. According to The Highwaymen Trail, an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of these artists, Daniels' landscapes are so striking that they have been compared to Harold Newton's renowned masterpieces.
Born in 1950 in Bainbridge, Georgia, there is limited information available about Daniels' early life. As per AJ Brown, a "2nd Generation" Highwaymen artist, which refers to artists who paint in a similar style as the original group after being mentored or taught by them, Daniels relocated with his family of six to Fort Pierce during his third-grade year. This move proved to be significant for a young boy with a passion for art (his first painting, as noted by The Highwaymen Trail, was on a cigar box). In Fort Pierce, Daniels and his younger brother Johnny, who also became one of the original Highwaymen artists, were surrounded by Highwaymen artists from a young age, including Mary Ann Carroll, Roy McLendon, and Harold Newton, who were all neighbors at some point.
