Johnny Daniels’s motivation to be an artist stemmed from watching his brother, Willie Daniels, paint with fellow Highwaymen. As they enjoyed the fruits of their labor, socializing in backyard barbecues, Johnny sat on the ground building the makeshift frames that accompanied each Highwaymen painting. He kept an eye on the action the whole time, which inspired him to paint. Besides being influenced by his brother, he quickly subscribed to Alfred Hair’s approach to fast painting while also acquiring Hair’s spirit of generosity and tutoring younger painters.