Born in Guadalajara in the last decade of the 1700's. Jose Maria Estrada started his artistic training with Jose Maria Uriarte. In 1827 he joined the Academia de Artes de Guadalajara. His technique was to paint directly over the blank canvas doing away with drawings and drafts to guide his brush strokes. His subjects were mainly middle class portraits, of which there were many that featured dead children.

One of his best known collectors was Roberto Montenegro who held Estrada in very high regard. Jose Maria Estrada's work is part of permanent collections of several important museums and institutions in Mexico, making this artist one of the most important regional painters from 19th century Jalisco.