Archives for Wildlife

The Studio of Greg Beecham

The Studio of Greg Beecham

May 18, 2017 | by

Dubois, Wyoming, is billed as one of the last Old West towns in the country. Its Chamber of Commerce web site touts its charm as a “gem with that frontier feeling. Far from everything, and the center of everything.” The town, nestled in the foothills of the mountains, is an hour away from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, just over the scenic Togwotee Pass highway. Greg Beecham has called this enchanting Western town home since 1997, when he and his family moved to Wyoming from Washington State. Initially, when they purchased the home, he thought a small room off
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A Balancing Act

A Balancing Act

March 18, 2017 | by

Colorado artist Lori Forest relies on her acute powers of observation and her love of the natural world to bring authenticity to her paintings. Even as a young child, growing up in the rural Midwest, she spent her time drawing dinosaurs and horses, insistent on being accurate. “I was fixated on getting it right,” she says, adding that even as a young child, authenticity was crucial. After some consideration, Forest chose to study geology at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colorado, saying, “I’ve always loved the earth. Geology has always fascinated me, and I think that plays a really
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Creative Freedom

Creative Freedom

January 18, 2017 | by

“Right now, I have three life-sized brown bears in my studio,” reports Joshua Tobey, sounding far less perturbed than other people might be under similar circumstances. “I also have three different African table-top pieces in progress. And my job today is to push all that aside and conceptualize a new sculpture for my show in Oregon next month.” Brown bears in the studio, multiple works in various stages of progress, new pieces to dream up, a calendar full of trips to art shows and foundries—it’s a fairly representative slice of the life of the bronze artist, who has been creating
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A Passion For Creativity

A Passion For Creativity

January 18, 2017 | by

In the highly competitive world of fine art, where building a national reputation might take decades, it is remarkable to note that 36-year-old, Montana-based wildlife artist Kyle Sims already has amassed an impressive list of honors, many of which were attained before he turned 30. In 2004, the Society of Animal Artists honored him with its Distinguished Young Artist Award, and the following year his work was included in the Arts for the Parks touring exhibition. In 2009, Sims not only received a coveted invitation to show his work in the Prix de West Invitational at Oklahoma City’s Cowboy and
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Finding His Voice

Finding His Voice

January 18, 2017 | by

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
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Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen

November 19, 2016 | by

Contacted in mid-August to see if he would be available on the following Wednesday afternoon to do the interview for this article, Kyle Ma replied, “That won’t work; I’ll be in school.” If all you knew about Ma was that he creates beautifully rendered paintings of everything from landscapes and seascapes to flowers and chickens, you would quite naturally assume that the reason he would be in school on a Wednesday was that he would be teaching art classes. And you would be oh, so wrong. Ma is taking classes, not teaching them. You see, this remarkable painter is a
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The Studio of Richard Loffler

The Studio of Richard Loffler

November 19, 2016 | by

Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, 60-year-old wildlife sculptor Richard Loffler is passionate about the natural world that surrounds him and has been for as long as he can remember. He draws his inspiration from the splendor of the region’s big skies, vast prairies, and especially its abundant wildlife. A large, three-sectioned structure already was on the property, when Loffler purchased it in 2012. “The middle building was an empty shell, so I had the luxury of designing a studio space to fit my needs,” he says. Measuring 40’ by 40’, the studio’s ceiling rises up 22 feet, providing
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‘This is My Calling’

‘This is My Calling’

September 19, 2016 | by

Best known for his magnificent stone carvings, Oreland Joe also puts his artistic skills to good use in creating bronze sculptures, as well as paintings and jewelry. His creativity doesn’t end there, however. “I’ve ventured into filmmaking and am writing a book,” he says, adding that the process for both will take two to three years to complete. “The film is an historic documentary about a 4-year-old Ute boy who was stolen by the Cheyenne in 1849. He was called Yellow Nose and was adopted and raised by Spotted Wolf, head chief of the Northern Cheyenne. At age 12, there
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‘There Was Always a Plan’

‘There Was Always a Plan’

September 19, 2016 | by

Patient and painstakingly precise as he creates masterworks in oil, Canadian artist Bruce Lawes evokes an equally dedicated passion when it comes to shaping his own artistic destiny. His first painting sale at the age of 12 confirmed his innate artistic abilities, but the direction that talent would take was not clarified until six years later, when his father brought home a stunning coffee table book titled “The Art of Robert Bateman.” “I was absolutely mesmerized by his imagery,” Lawes says. “It brought my love for nature into focus and defined my goal to be able to paint like Bateman
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‘There’s an Honesty to Sculpture’

‘There’s an Honesty to Sculpture’

July 19, 2016 | by

Before Rod Zullo became a fine artist, he was a fisherman. For 10 years, he worked on big sport fishing boats in the Caribbean, logging 14-hour days for months at a time. Those long hours of hard work served as great preparation for him, as he traveled the road to becoming the award-winning sculptor he is today. They allowed Zullo to save up enough money to enroll at Montana State University in Bozeman, where he studied studio arts. They provided an opportunity for him to learn how to schmooze with clients and enjoy the social side of work. They gave
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