
At the Academy in Chicago, Gollings met and worked closely with a number of artists who also reflected an interest in the Southwest. He was eventually drawn back to the region, settling in Wyoming, where he established an art studio. He fell into the region’s circle of Southwest painters and was mentored by J.H. Sharp, the founder of the Taos Society of Artists and a revered early chronicler of Native American life and culture in the region. From Sharp, he learned important painting techniques, which furthered his artistic style and provided him with the necessary tools for working in this specific environment. Gollings led a prolific and notable career as a Southwestern painter, dying in Sheridan, Wyoming in 1932 at the age of 54. His paintings and drawings are part of the collections of the Gilcrease Museum, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and the National Museum of Wildlife Art.