While preparing for a massive show in 2013, Montana sculptor Tim Shinabarger found himself spending 70 hours a week in the studio. Stepping away from the show circuit maelstrom and what he describes as the marketing treadmill that consume so much of an artist’s time brought with it a wonderful surprise. Spending that much quality time in his studio put the sculptor in a new artistic space, a place of skill and confidence that was unprecedented for him.

Even though Shinabarger’s past experience in taxidermy had provided him with an in-depth understanding of animal anatomy, this intense concentration reawakened his artistic muse and, he says, “I perfected my method and found my voice.” It seems odd that a popular and successful artist, whose work has been sought after for many years, would talk about finding his voice, but he goes on to explain what occurred during that intense period of working in the studio.

Tim Shinabarger

Switchback
Bronze
30″ High
“If there is a common theme that threads its way through my work, it is wilderness. I am not only enthralled with the wildlife that inhabits the true backcountry but honor the early explorations of it. I have an insatiable appetite for reading the journals and stories of early day explorers. They traveled by foot, canoe, dogsled, and horse. The drama intrigues me, especially the brute physical strength, determination, and endurance they had to display in order to overcome intense hardships.”

Tim Shinabarger

Track of the Silvertip
Bronze
14″ High
“There is something intriguing about the track of an animal, especially that of a grizzly. The fresh imprints of the pad, toes, and long curved claws pressed into the soft mud never fail to conjure up a vivid image of a grizzled old silvertip wandering along the sand bars of some remote wilderness river.”