John William Hilton was born in Carrington, North Dakota in 1904. He was a painter of the Western desert, muralist, illustrator, and author. Hilton was raised traveling with parents who were missionaries. He was educated in California, then worked as a jewelry designer in Los Angeles. In the Depression of the 1930's, he started a curio business in the California desert and began painting. He worked with Fechin, Dixon, Swinnerton, and Forsythe. Following his first one man show in Palm Springs in 1935, he had over one hundred shows nationally. Hilton illustrated his own books beginning with "Senora Sketch Book" in 1947, "This Is The Desert" in 1960, and "Hilton Paints The Desert" in 1964. "My desert paintings are usually unpeopled because I am trying to present the feel of the country rather than what man is trying to do with it. The land of little rain and plenty of time will be waiting to bring peace."