Howard Post was born and raised on a ranch near Tucson and gravitated early towards the cowboy life. He began to enter rodeo competitions as a youth and in time became an Arizona High School All-Around Rodeo Champion, a member of the University of Arizona rodeo team and eventually a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association competitor.
After working as a commercial artist for a period, in 1980, Post decided to paint the lifestyle he knew best - the Arizona ranch traditions and the Arizona landscape. He is known for his unique aerial perspectives and modern, impressionistic viewpoint. A distant ranch house, cowboys sitting on fence rails, or cattle clustered in a corral are all subjects brought to life by Post's keen imagination. His use of high perspectives renders people and animals in his works with exceptionally strong shapes and patterns. He may use up to six colors, painted over a dark background. Strong, orderly shadow patterns cast by the figures of cattle, cowboys, trees, or fences define his work.