BiographyRoy De Forest was born in North Platte, Nebraska and obtained his bachelor's degree from the San Francisco Art Institute and his master's degree from San Francisco State University. He taught at the University of California, Davis from 1965 until his retirement in 1992, and the artist is considered by many to be one of the founders of the art department at UC Davis. De Forest's work incorporates unique marks and gestures and vibrant depictions of stylized people and animals.